Start the Machine
by Homely
Summary: Slight darkfic; AU; SasuHina; In this battlefield, murder is all around- Somehow, all I can see is you. Warning: Murder, abuse, sex, ect.
1. preface: just do it

**Hello everyone, thanks for checking out this story; if you've seen this story before, please make sure to read this A/N. I've changed the plot of the story, and you'll read in the second chapter. Please review and let me know what you think. **

**This story IS set in an alternate universe, so if you don't like that, please leave now! In this universe, the opposite of what happened to the Uchiha in the manga has happened; the Uchiha, rich with power, greed and hatred, overthrow the leaf. After three years, a war is raging; Hinata and Sasuke are caught up in the middle of it. **

* * *

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

_**preface;** __just do it_

The air was cool, contrasting his hot breath against my neck.

Shivers- Sent endlessly up my spine as he drew closer, closer- Touching. My head was held low in shame, fear, _hope... _And all I could focus on were the raindrops, slowly drizzling off of my bangs and onto my face, and then the thought of him. His face, though behind me, I could imagine so clearly as though I looked him on directly- Everything; His lips, his hair, his eyes... He had always looked to cold to me. _Heartless. _I thought. _Soulless._

Feeling his hand raise up my body, grazing the hollows of my back caused me to involuntarily shudder.

_"Are you afraid of me?"_ His voice, musky, yet so velvety rang in my ears like the screams I could faintly hear, never so far away. To this I knew not to reply. _The end will come anyways._

His hand lay lightly on my shoulder, certainly not for long. And as if on cue, that harsh, terrifying grip of his tightened- And within moments, my knees were in the mud.

I held my arms closely, tightly to my sides as I listened to the rain pour all around, splashing off of my skin so lightly, and so simply. I heard the light _click _of metal upon metal as he unsheathed his sword. This, of course, was not unexpected. His weapon, like a pair of eyes watching, I could just _feel _was pointing right towards me. I imagined his expression, the one he always had when he was about to kill- Serious. Then again, he always looked this way.

"I said..." He began, stepping but an inch towards me. _"Are you afraid of me?"_

I knew what he wanted to hear. I whimpered, nodding weakly, feeding him his petty little desires. I could practically sense the smirk that crossed his handsome face, as his index finger lightly fondled the knife that would end my life in but an instant. As my eyelids closed shut, for what I knew would be the last time, I thought of all I had seen upon this godforsaken war. The faces of my family haunted my visions. All the lives that had been lost...

What's one more to do?

"Pathetic." He said, kicking my back, sending jolts of pain through my injured body. I yelped, my hands now landing in the earth. And I began to cry, realizing that these were, in fact, my last moments on Earth. I prayed that the afterlife would bring me the fortune that my poor, frail reality could never provide. Though somehow, imagining any reality without _him _seemed just so... _Unrealistic. _This man who haunted my dreams could never possibly fade away.

_How? _I asked myself, clenching the dirt and grass below my hands. I'd cried so many tears of anger, frustration and sadness, and even still they poured down my cheeks, like the never ending downpour or rain surrounding me. _How can I love such a _**_monster?_**

I turned to him then, not caring about the pain my body felt and how weak my mind was. Not caring about my hearing, barely audible and my vision, which could hardly be called vision at all- For all I could see was him.

His long sword was pointed at me, but this I already knew. His dark eyebrows furrowed, likely due to the shock that I _dared _to lay my eyes upon him, in my last moments of life.

"Hyuuga." He slurred through his scoff, shoving the sharp weapon closer to my face. I didn't even flinch, only looked at it for a moment, before my eyes fell intently on his- Where crystal met onyx. Where Hyuuga met Uchiha. Where hope met murder.

_"Sasuke..." _I dared to utter his name, and with my final breaths I breathed; _"Just do it."_

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**Author's note: **Hello all :) thanks for reading! I know this was short, but it _is _just the preface. I hope it's captivated at least a few readers :D. I've never really tried a dark themed fic, so don't kill me if its not all that

**Review please, let me know what you think!**


	2. chapter one: the beginning

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

_**chapter one;** __the beginning_

_The silence was deafening. It crept upon my reality, clouding my insight and taking away all of my fear. This is the end, I thought, the wound I had been inflicted with growing wider as the blade dug deeper into my flesh. I could not feel it. I knew what was happening, but at the same time everything was just so… Unreal. As though it was not happening at all._

_It felt… Almost as though nothing, not even my own life, had ever taken place to begin with… Nothing was real, and nothing had ever been real… This, this is what it feels like to, to…_

I shot upright in my bed in a cold sweat, my heart pumping violently. The first thing I did was take in my surroundings; I was in my bedroom.

I had never left.

I kind of laughed to myself for a moment, thinking _of course I never left... They would never let me just leave._

I sighed heavily, allowing myself to fall onto the rough slab of wood and thin sheet that was called my bed. _This is what it feels like…_ I remembered the thoughts that had ran through my head, only a split second before I had been abruptly awaken. "To awake from a terrible nightmare…" I completed the thought aloud, rolling to my side. It was 3:01 am. "Every night…"

I often had strange dreams such as this. Murder, despair, screams surrounding me... But then again, this had also become my every day reality. Sometimes, it was hard to tell the difference. This dream seemed to speak out to me a bit more than the others though.

I had never had a dream about myself being murdered before.

In all honestly, it freaked me out. I was laying there shaking, almost, because the dream had been so… Vivid. I felt as though I was realistically facing death, only to wake up in my own bed…

I wondered, _does this mean anything?_

I suppose I had fallen alseep for a few more hours, because the next thing I knew, I was being awoken. The loud clanking sound of the locks that bound my door being opened was what woke me up at 6 am every morning.

Every morning for the past three years...

Sai would walk in next. He would give me a glass of water and a bowl of rice, then instruct me to dress for the day and be out front in half an hour, no later. I knew this routine well, yet Sai always found it necessary to tell me.

But today, something was a bit different. Sai walked in, but he was holding no water or bowl of rice. I sat up.

"Hinata." He said. "I've been told to tell you to pack any belongings you may have, it appears you are being moved."

"Moved...?" I asked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"You're being transferred to a different part of town."

This definitely perked my ears up. "R-Really!" I felt joyous for a moment, but then I felt fear; _what if they put me in a worse place than this? Or what if they are going to kill me!_

"Yes. So, please pack your things. I'll be waiting outside your room for you, please don't take too long." Sai left the room and closed the door behind him.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing... For three years I had been there, in that building, doing petty chores for the Uchiha... I cooked, cleaned and served in the manor with a few other girls. I wondered what they could possibly plan on doing with me...

It didn't take me long to gather myself and be ready to get on the way. I was eager. For the first time in forever, I felt a thrill.

Sai and two other ninja were the ones who would be excorting me to my new home. But it was a lot farther than I had expected. We were walking a good 20 minutes out of town before I saw a small hut over the horizon of the field we were walking through. This scared me, and really made me think that they might just be getting rid of me...

But that was not the case. I almost wish it was, for it would have saved me much pain and suffering, but... It turned out that my role in this war was only just beginning.

As we got closer and closer to the hut, I noticed a figure was perched on the roof. He was tall looking, with long, jet black hair... Definitely an Uchiha. But as my vision grew more clear, I realized that he wasn't just any Uchiha...

He was Sasuke Uchiha, a former classmate of mine from way back when we were free. He turned his face towards us, and it brought back a distinct memory...

**Flashback**

_It was the very day before the genocide..._

_My last day of freedom..._

_I was spending it in the park with my younger sister. I watched her while she played, making sure she didn't get hurt, or get into any trouble. I remember my name being called._

_"Oi, Hinata!"_

_I glanced behind me only to see three classmates of mine; Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sasuke Uchiha. Sakura waved to me, and I waved back. Naruto grinned widely and waved as well, Sasuke, however, did not acknowledge me. I locked eyes with him for but a moment, but he smugly looked away before I could make any sort of friendly gesture. I had always admired Sasuke... He was a skilled ninja, especially at the young age we were. I wanted to be his friend, but... So did everybody else. He never seemed too interested in people though._

_They continued on their way, and I continued to do my thing; standing there, thinking, and watching my sister play. It was a peaceful day… Very normal. I liked that._

**End Flashback**

Sasuke jumped swiftly before me as I stood at attention, Sai and the two ninja standing behind me. Sasuke's cold onyx eyes met mine, and a chiver sent up my spine. To think I hadn't seen him in three years, though he had been in the same villiage as me the whole time. He looked much the same, only older, stronger, and colder...

Sasuke had always had this strange ability to make girls weak to their knees just by looking in their eyes. In that moment, my knees were trembling, and not out of fear.

"Well here she is, Sasuke." Sai said. "As your father ordered, you are to watch over this girl, and use her as you need. Her byakkugan should serve useful to you. You know your mission, right?"

"Yes." He nodded. "Simple... Just keep an eye out for enemy chakra in this area. I probably don't even need the girl."

"Well your father requested it, in your favor I assume. It will make things easier on you."

"I suppose." Sasuke's voice was always so nonchalant.

"Kill _anybody _suspicious you see lurking around here." One of the ninja said very sternly. "And memorize your shift schedule. There are two other outputs set up nearby here in the forest."

"Yes yes I know." Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I've been told everything. You can all leave now."

"As you wish." Sai nodded. "Hinata..." I turned around to look at him. "Don't try to cause any trouble."

"O-Of course!" I stuttered, and with that, they took off in a flash leaving me standing there alone and feeling awkward with Sasuke. His eyes locked on mine, and that weak feeling arose.

"Well." He said. "Let's go inside then I guess..."

I followed him into the shack, which wasn't too nice on the inside. I was used to sleeping in poor conditions but the estate I worked in last was beautiful. _Oh well_, I thought, _at least its a change... _

There was a bed in the corner, and a kitchen attached to one of the walls. There was a small fireplace, and a table with three old looking chairs. Off to the side, I noticed a set of stone stairs leading to a basement.

"You're not going to try anything, are you?" Sasuke asked warrily. "This mission is bothersome, I really don't want to have to deal with chasing you down and killing you..."

"N-No, of course not." I replied instantly, frightened at that last statement. "I wouldn't try anything."

He half smirked. "Good. That means I can relax then." He kicked off his sandles and lay on the bed. I stayed in my place. "What?" He asked. "Just gunna stand there awkwardly?"

I couldn't help but blush. "What would you like me to do?"

"I dunno." He shrugged. "You have to join me in a few hours to watch for enemies... That's about it. Til then, I don't really know what slaves enjoy doing on their free time."

"I haven't been given free time since the beginning of all this..."

"Hmph, such is the life of one too weak to withstand slavery... But I suppose my life hasn't been much different."

"What do you mean? You're free..."

"Pffft." He scoffed. "Hardly. You think I want to be sitting in some dusty shack watching trees for hours every day? Just like you, I have to follow orders. I have my freedom but I also have troublesome tasks that I generally don't want to attend to... But, it is my duty."

"I see... The family I worked for before this were completely free. They were usually home, living their daily lives normally..."

"They weren't born into a life of military. Once you join, you can never back out. Those people may have been Uchiha but they were still common folk."

"I understand that."

Sasuke stared at me for a moment, as if waiting for something to happen. "Why don't you sit down? You just standing there is irritating me..."

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, rushing over to one of the chairs at the table. I sat down quickly.

"Hmph." He closed his eyes and sighed. "I remember you from the academy." He stated. I blushed yet again.

"You do?"

He nodded, eyes still shut. "Yes."

"I wasn't sure if you did. You never spoke to me, back then."

"Yes, but you spoke to me. At least you attempted to."

"Yeah, I did..." There were a few moments of silence, where I found myself lost in thought. This was all so strange... Being there, with a former classmate as my boss... He seemed so much more laid back than any of the adults who were in charge of me last. Here, I even had free time... I knew my life would never be the same, but this... This gave me hope, that maybe, things wouldn't be so terrible anymore.

My thoughts were interupted by Sasuke's velvety voice. "Do you know what's going on, Hinata?" He inquried, his dark eyes now locked on mine.

"Not exactly." I admitted. "They never told me much. I know the beginning, which I try not to remember..."

"Well there is word out that the surviving people of the city, the ones who do not serve under us have been training their own army for the past few years elsewhere. That's why we're here, to watch out for any spies or anybody of the sort. I guess they're pretty pissed off that we betrayed them..." He chuckled a bit. "Fools. No body can destroy the power of the Uchiha... Konoha will be ours forever."

To this, I said nothing. What could I say? At that point in time, I beileved what he said was true. The Uchiha were very powerful beings. The clan wasn't even all that large, yet, they were able to conquor a whole villiage and make its townspeople their slaves... Killing most of them, of course. I wondered who had been able to escape. I hoped that all my old friends were alright... Like Kiba and Shino... And Naruto and Sakura, among all of the other friends I used to have. They were all so much stronger than me.

I hoped that they were able to use the strength that I didn't have to get away.

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Well yeah, there you have it. I revised the entire storyline. The Uchiha have overthrown Konoha, killing most, enslaving many, and having few get away. I hope you like it, I don't usually write stories like this. Please review and let me know what you think :)


	3. chapter two: the girl with no hatred

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

**_chapter two; _**_the girl with no hatred_

The basement was cold and dark... There was not a single window, and the entire thing was made of stone. There were cob webs in all corners, and nothing was in the room but a single bed.

"This is where you'll be sleeping." Sasuke said, gesturing towards it. The bed, to my best interest, was actually made of cushsion... I was happy about that. I hadn't slept on anything but wood in forever. There was even a blanket and a pillow for me to use.

"Thank you." I said quietly.

"Don't thank me, this place is horrible." He scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. I didn't know what to say to that. "Well, I'll be up there. We have get to work in less than an hour, so I'll come get you when the time comes." With that, he walked up the stairs and left me alone in the dark basement. All I had was a candle to light the room.

I sat down on the bed. I was unsure of what was going to happen to me from the point on, but things weren't looking _so_ bad...

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_Sasuke's POV_

* * *

I left Hinata alone in the basement so I could have some time to think to myself.

It was weird having her with me. The whole premise of it just felt awkward... I was a highly skilled ninja, yet my father thought it was suitable to have me work with this weak, foolish girl. It was kind of relieving, because my job here was very easy. I knew who Hinata was, even excluding the time she was in the academy with me, I could easily read her personality. She was shy, weak, and scared. She was not going to try any sort of tricks or pose any threat at all. I could relax without a single worry of her doing anything stupid.

A nice break from the training, spying and fighting I'd been doing for the past three years... But it still felt like my skills were being put to poor use.

I was laying on my bed, when I suddenly heard an ear piercing screech coming from the basement. Instictively I ran to the basement in a flash, only to see Hinata red faced with fear staring at the wall beside her bed.

"What the fuck!" I exclaimed. "What happened!" She pointed at the wall, but I couldn't see anything. "Are you insane?" I muttered, irritated. "There's nothing there."

"T-The spider!" She stammered, fright truly lacing her delicate voice. "K-Kill it!"

I looked closer, and sure enough, there was an average sized black spider simply standing on the wall. I didn't even know what to say. "Seriously?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow. "A fucking spider..."

She looked at me with desperate eyes, which actually shocked me a little. "I'm terrified of spiders... Oh dear, I haven't seen one in ages, the estate was so clean all the time, I never even saw a little one... Please kill it Sasuke."

"I'm a serious ninja, you silly girl." I said, before walking over to the wall and smashing the spider with my fist. She jumped a little when I did it. "Don't waste my time."

"Is it dead?"

I looked at my hand and saw the dead spider guts all over the side of it, then flashed it in her face. She yelped and jumped back. "It's dead." I confirmed, walking over to the stairs. "Now be quiet... I'm trying to relax. And now I have to wash dead spider guts off my hands... Lovely."

"Thank you so much. I'm sorry for wasting your time, I just have a very irrational fear of spiders..."

"Yeah yeah whatever." I brushed her off as I walked back up the stairs.

As soon as I was out of her sight, I looked at my hand and kind of shuttered. I really didn't like spiders either, but I wasn't about to look like a coward to an _arachnid_in front of a girl, slave girl or not.

I washed my hands off and checked the time, only to realize that it was our turn to look out anyways.

"Hey, get up here." I called down to her, and she was almost instantly by my side. "It's time."

* * *

"Use your byakugan." I ordered. The veins at the sides of her eyes plumped up. "What can you see?"

"Nothing right now. I don't sense any chakra at all."

"Yeah, me neither. This feels so trivial." I leaned back against the tree we were seated on and yawned, bored. "Well keep on the look out. You keep looking to the left, I'll cover the right."

"Got it." She said._  
_

Hours passed, and nothing happened. I was extremely bored the entire time, I'm sure Hinata was too but she said nothing. She was obidient, quiet, and respectful. I approved of that.

I figured nothing was going to happen, and there was only half an hour left until we got to go off post, so I was almost ready to call it an early day considering I was so fucking bored... But then;

"Sasuke." Hinata whispered my name harshly. "I see something."

"You do?" I asked, hoping she was wrong. I activated my sharingan and looked in her direction. I could see what appeared to be a blip of chakra in the distance, slowly getting closer. "You're right... There is someone out there."

"I can see them clearly. It's a man, no, a boy, a teenager. But he's stopped now..."

"I think he senses we're here." I stated. "He's retreating."

"Yes, he is."

We watched for a few more minutes until we were positive that the ninja in the woods had retreated. "A spy." I said, and Hinata looked at me.

"You think?"

"Definitely. He was coming close to here, but not too close, to see if he could sense any of our chakra... They are now going to know that we're watching out for them in this area. I doubt they will be coming back this way, unless its with more than one person. Next time they return, they will have planned an attack."

"Sasuke..." Hinata began. "What would I do if we did get attacked? I'm not the best fighter..."

I stared at her for a moment. _My father didn't think that one through very well... I really don't know what would happen. This girl is so strange though. She doesn't even seem to fathom the possibility of running away. It's almost like she is truly on our side... Yet we have enslaved her for years... When I look into Hinata's eyes, I don't see any hatred, or resent towards me, although my clan and I have destoryed her life as she once knew it. It doesn't make any sense to me..._

"A-Are you okay?" She stammered, and I snapped out of my momentary trance, realizing that I had been blankly staring at her for a good minute.

"I'm fine." I said. "I don't have an answer to that question right now. I'm going to have to talk to my father about it. He didn't seem to think this whole thing through very well."

"Oh, I see."

"Well I think we're done here. Let's head back to the shack."

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	4. chapter three: he had never seen beauty

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

**_chapter three; _**_he had never seen the beauty of day_

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_Hinata's POV_

* * *

The first night I stayed there, I did not sleep well. I was constantly tossing and turning, and my whole body would not cease sweating. Each time I would drift out of conciousness, his face would appear in my mind...

I had probably about two hours of sleep before the morning came. Sasuke didn't say much to me. He seemed to always be lost in thought. I often wondered what he was thinking about, but I would never dare to ask.

A few days passed, and every day felt like it was the same. The days seemed to go by much faster than the nights, for each night I was uneasy and paranoid. I would lay awake for hours with my mind wide awake, unable to block out my loud thoughts. I found myself thinking about Sasuke more than what was appropriate. I was always asking myself questions about him, wondering where he had been and what he had seen.

Sasuke had killed innocent people that I cared about. Sasuke was not a good man. He was powerful, and sometimes terrifying. He was nonchalant about everything, and didn't seem to like or care about much. It seemed like he only spoke me to when it was necessary, he didn't really enjoy my company, that was for sure... But then again, I don't think he ever really enjoyed anybody's company.

However, on the fifth night I had spent with him, Sasuke asked me a strange question. He told me to sit at the table with him, so I did as ordered. His skin was as clean as white porcelain, and he looked at me with his jet black eyes as if he were studying me; as if he were trying to see into my mind. My stomach fluttered with anxiety.

"I want to ask you something." He said, and I nodded. "There's just something about you that I need to understand."

"Of course, what is it?"

"Why don't you hate me?"

At this, I was utterly shocked. I definitely was not expecting him to ask me something like that.

"W-What do you mean?" I queried.

"Did I stutter?" A look of irritation crossed his handsome features.

"No... I just..." I had no idea what to say.

"Just answer it."

"I suppose I don't see any point in hating you." I answered honestly. The whole conversation was making me very nervous.

"But I have helped committ terrible crimes against you and those you care about. I have assited in taking away for freedom, turning you into nothing but a worthless slave, and now that is all you will ever be. Do you feel no hatred at all? No need to seek revenge?"

"No... Hating you will not give me back my freedom. It will not give me back the lives of those who were lost. It will not change anything. Hatred is a useless emotion..."

Sasuke scoffed. "What a foolish thing to say. This whole world is thrived off of hatred. How do you think the Uchiha grew so strong? We used the hatred we felt towards all those around us, and turned it against them. We became the most powerful clan in the nation, using one thing; the hatred in our hearts."

"But if all you can ever see is hatred, how could you see the beauty this world also has to offer?"

He looked at me for a moment, his eyes piercing into my very soul. I was scared to say anything else, I didn't want him to get angry at my opinion of his awful views on the world. "There is no such thing as beauty. Beauty is simple and materialistic. Hatred is mighty and powerful. No one has ever conquered an entire village using the power of _love._"

"Well... Because no one who possessed the power of love, ever felt the need to take over a village. When you love something, you don't want to hurt it or destroy it. You want to watch it blossom."

"You are naive." Sasuke sneered, seemingly angry by my previous statement. "Love gets you no where. Love will only sink you into the ground. Look at the two of us? You grew up a loving person, and look where you are now? I grew up thrived off my clan's hatred, and look where I am?"

His words stung. I knew he had a point, but it didn't change my perspective. I had never been a hateful person, and that wasn't about to change. Though I held resentment in my heart towards Sasuke and his family, there was a fine line between that and hate. I felt sorry for Sasuke, because I realized then, that he had never seen the beauty of day. All he had ever been able to see, was the darkness, and the evil hatred that lay within it. I could hardly fathom a life where one is raised only to hate and to murder.

I was beginning to understand why he was the way he was.

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	5. chapter four: no pity

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

_**chapter four; **no pity  
_

* * *

_Hinata's POV_

* * *

**Flashback**

_So many people..._

_People I had known my entire life, now lay slain on the side walk. I ran through the streets in utter shock._

What the fuck is happening! _I thought as I sprinted and did not stop. I couldn't stop..._

_I had fallen asleep in the secret library, which was in the basement of the Hyuuga estate while reading a book only two hours before. And when I had awoken, that was what I saw..._

_Everywhere there were bodies. Not a single person was still alive._

This is a dream. This _has _to be a dream...

_But to my dismay, it was not a dream. It was sheer, crystal clear reality that I was seeing. I simply could not accept it. I continued to run aimlessly, not knowing where to go. I was hoping to find someone who was still alive... Anyone._

_And that was when I saw a shadowy figure standing mighty on the roof of a building along my path. I sensed an imense chakra, and as I drew nearer to him I started to make out his glowing red eyes._

_Sharingan._

_An Uchiha._

_Before I could even blink, I was stopped by him in my path. I knew who he was; his name was Itachi, but I had never spoken to him before. I jumped back in shock and fear. I could almost see the faces of my loved ones screaming in the reflection of his blood red orbs, but in reality it was only the reflection of flames dancing on his iris. I had never felt more terrified of anything in my entire life. In that moment I was convinced that my life was going to end._

_"This is where your journey ends." He sneered violently; the last thing I remember was seeing him disappear before my eyes._

**End Flashback**

It had been exactly one week since I had started working with Sasuke, and they were definitely seven of the most interesting days I'd had in a very long time. It was a wednesday evening, about an hour after we'd stopped working, and I was sitting on my bed in the basement with nothing to do. Sasuke had requested me to leave him alone so I did as so, but I felt so disgusting and uncomfortable. I hadn't bathed in three days, it really needed to happen.

I'd been putting it off because I hated to ask Sasuke questions, it always made me very nervous and intimidated. However it was necessary, I felt dirty. I went to approach him upstairs, but I immediately noticed that he was sleeping soundly on his bed. He looked so peaceful when he slept... I definitely didn't want to wake him up. And being as naive as I was, I thought;

_I'm sure Sasuke wouldn't mind if I went off and bathed... The creek is right beside the opening of the forest, after all. I'll be really fast... _

* * *

_Sasuke's POV_

* * *

My eyelids fluttered open as a beam of sunlight eminating from the window shone against my face. _Must have fallen asleep... _I thought, coming back to reality. I had been extremely frustrated before I took a nap; I was thinking too much, so that explained why I fell asleep. I liked to sleep because it was a break from reality... When I slept, it was almost as if I lost all emotion and simply drifted away into a pool of unconsciousness. Waking up was something I did not enjoy, however.

When I stood up, I instantly noticed that something was wrong. I could feel Hinata's chakra, but it was faint. She was not in the basement.

I did not even find it necessary to go and check, because I already knew. I could sense her elsewhere, but she was very close by. I angrily dashed outside ready to hunt her down to matter what it took. If I had let her get away, my father would have killed me, so I knew I had to do everything in my power to grab her and throw her back in that basement. _Pathetic girl... _I thought. _Does she really think she can escape me? How dare she try to run away._

As I jolted closer to where I sensed her chakra, I noticed that she wasn't moving... Was she hiding, perhaps? I didn't stop running until I was close to her, in which case I slowed down to a stealthy walk. Lurking through the trees, I tried to spot out where she was. Oddly enough, she was standing there right out in the open in the center of a small creek, allowing a thin waterfall to pour over her nude body.

It was unlike me to stare, yet for a moment, I was entranced. Droplets of water glistened off of her pale skin in the sunlight. I had never laid eyes on a woman's body before... She looked fragile and weak. It was strange, I thought, how women were built so breakable.

I quickly snapped out of my trance and shook my head clear of a few strange thoughts that popped into my mind. I removed my eyes from her and stared at a leaf on the ground.

_What is wrong with me? _I asked myself. _I can't believe I just spied on her bathing... How innapropriate. Thankfully she never turned around so I didn't see her-_

I cut that thought off immediately, and snapped back into reality. I needed to focus, in case she really was going to try to run, but I had a strong feeling that she was simply bathing. I dared to take another peek, and thankfully she was picking up her robe and covering herself. I would now make my appearance. In an instant I jumped before her, and naturally she screamed in shock.

"S-Sasuke!" She exclaimed, holding her robe close to her body to hide herself.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" I inquired angrily. "I told you if you tried to leave I would find you in an instant."

"I-I was just washing myself, I'm sorry..." She blushed and looked down at her feet shamefully. "I didn't want to wake you, I'm sorry."

"Hmph. You really are lucky I don't kill you, you know that?" She trembled a little, but said nothing to this. Angered, I grabbed her roughly by the wrist and dragged her back to the shack. I knew I was hurting her but I didn't care. The stupid girl was wasting my time. I roughly tossed her like a ragdoll onto her bed in the basement and she yelped, holding an arm over her face in fright, as if she thought I was going to strike her.

"You look pathetic like that." I belittled, staring down at her with cold eyes, though she avoided them. "Don't take off like that again, do you understand that?"

She nodded and whimpered. "Y-Yes, I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing." I ordered. "And stop making yourself look so weak. You dishonor your clan with your lack of courage."

Still, Hinata did not speak. I noticed a small tear form in the corner of her eye, and that was when I decided I would take my leave. _I think she learned her lesson, I doubt she'll be taking off again. _I said to myself, leaving her to her sorrow.

* * *

I really don't have much of a clue how well I'm doing on this story, so please review and let me know :) any constructive criticism would be much appreciated, I'm really trying to work on my writing skills. Thank you so much for reading!

**~Homely**


	6. chapter five: thank you

**Start the Machine**

****_- all I can see is you -_

___**chapter five; **thank you_

* * *

_Hinata's POV_

* * *

Sasuke's words stung like poison.

_"You bring dishonor to your clan..." _

_Am I really that pathetic? _I thought, tears streaming down my face. I felt a heavy pain on my chest where my heart was._ Of course I am... Look at me, enslaved by the Uchiha... If I were truly a ninja I would have escaped with the other survivors. Sasuke's right. I am pathetic. _

I sat and cried for hours that night until I softly fell asleep.

In the morning, I didn't dare look at Sasuke. I avoided his piercing gaze at all costs, but at times I could feel his eyes on me and it made me very uneasy. I felt like he hated me, and I felt remoreful because of that. I didn't understand why I cared what he thought of me, but unfortunately I did value his opinion.

About an hour before our shift, there was a knock on the door. It was no one other than Sasuke's father.

"Hello, son." Fugaku said. I had never really been directly in his presence before. Fugaku Uchiha was the mastermind behind the overthrowing of Konoha. He was practically considered Hokage now, but I would never refer to him as that. He was simply the ruler of a pathetic clan thrived off hatred.

"Father." Sasuke greeted with a nod. I sat in a chair careful not to look at Fugaku for I didn't want to disrespect him and end up getting hurt. "Please, come in." Sasuke closed the door behind his father. He gestered towards one of the two available chairs. Fugaku came near me to sit, and instantly I stood up and looked at Sasuke.

"Would you like me to leave?" I trembled, scared of the two powerful men I was in the room with.

"No, stay here." Fugaku answered. I looked at him now, meeting his dark eyes which were almost identical to Sasuke's.

"Yes sir." I said, taking a seat again. Sasuke joined us as well.

"How's the mission going?"

"It's fine." Sasuke said. "We haven't had any sign of the enemy, except for on the first day I believe we spotted a spy. He left very quickly though, and did not come close to us."

"Ahh, I see." Fugaku nodded, and appeared to be thinking for a moment. "And how is working with the girl working out? She hasn't disobeyed you at all, has she? Or tried to escape, perhaps?"

I was instantaneously petrified by this question. I looked at Sasuke and held my breath. _Oh no, what will Fugaku do when Sasuke tells him I left the other day? He's going to kill me...!_

Sasuke hesitated for a moment before speaking. I never expected him to say what he was going to next. "No, sir. She has been fine. Her byakugan was actually very helpful the day we spotted the spy. She was the first one to notice him."

I couldn't believe it... Did he really just cover for me? _Why would he do that?_

"That's excellent." Fugaku nodded in approval. A huge relief was lifted off my shoulders and I was able to relax. "Always stay on alert, Sasuke, and don't give this girl too much freedom. A girl who was recently under the watch of a fellow Uchiha tried pulling a trick against him and almost escaped through the forest. But naturally, she was stopped and killed. We can't afford to have mercy on those who refuse to live by our standards. You never know who could end up costing us everything."

"I understand that, father." Sasuke locked eyes with me briefly, a look that appeared to be giving me a warning. I think he was implying that he would not lie to his father on my behalf again.

"Good." Fugaku stood up. "Keep up the good work then. Make sure you're eating well."

"I know, dad..."

Fugaku smiled a little and patted his son on the head. _What a strange display of affection. _I thought. _They are such hardened people, yet there are still little things about them that much resemble what a normal father and son would look like._

After he left, Sasuke shut the door and returned to sit next to me. When he said nothing, I decided that I would be the one to talk first. I momentarily forgot about my fear of speaking to him without first being spoken to, because I _had _to ask.

"Why did you do that, Sasuke?" I inquired. He looked at me, then shut his eyes and held his hands behind his head to support his head as he casually leaned back.

"Don't ask questions." He stated. "Just accept it for what it is. And know that it's never happening again."

"U-Understood." I stammered."Thank you, Sasuke." For the first time in what felt like forever, a genuine smile was triggered inside of me. He looked at me with one eye open, before huffing and looking away.

"Stop that." He said.

"Stop what?"

"That thing you're doing with you lips."

"Smiling?"

"Uh, yeah... Cut that out."

"I'm sorry." I tried to tug the grin off my face but it wasn't going down without a fight. "It's just, I'm so thankful to you. I never expected you to care-"

"I do not care." He cut me off sternly, arms crossed over his chest. "I just... I just need you. Your byakugan, to be specific... I don't care if you live or die so don't take what I did the wrong way."

"No matter your motifs, you could have just saved my life."

"Shut up." He demanded angrily, which instantly wiped the smile off my face. "I don't save lives, I take them away. Consider what I did for you payment for the assitance you're giving me."

"Well-"

"Say anything else about it and I'll tell my father the truth." He stated boldly, no word of a lie. So I hushed up and didn't speak another word; but in my mind, I was still thinking _thank you, Sasuke. _

* * *

Hey everyone, thanks for reading! I know it was a short chapter but I'll be updating again very soon. Please leave a review :) any tips for how to improve would be awesome.


	7. chapter six: the emotionless assassin

**Start the Machine**

_- all I can see is you -_

_**chapter six; **the emotionless assassin  
_

* * *

_Sasuke's POV_

* * *

The sky was painted with an abundance of colour; swirls of orange and pink clouds slowly moved across the horizon, and I watched as the sun slowly inched its way downwards. From the roof of the shack, I could see the sky perfectly. Sunsets always gave me such a strange nostalgic feeling. I suppose, it reminded me of when I was a child.

I doubt anyone would have ever guessed it, but I thought about what it was like to be a child quite frequently. It all seemed so distant, like a fuzzy dream I had stored in the deep vault of my mind. Every once un a while, I would unlock this vault and recall the memories locked within. It was strange to think that I was _happy_ at one time.

Those times were long passed.

It was beginning to get dark. The sun tucked itself behind the trees and began to disappear. I caught myself deep in thought, much like I always did. My thoughts wandered, fathoming my conversation with my father earlier. I had never dared to lie to him before. I wondered, _why didn't I tell him the truth...? Why did I let her live? _In all honesty, I did not know. At that point, I couldn't even understand myself.

I guess, I just didn't think she deserved to die at that moment.

But _why?_

Born and raised by those who worshiped hatred, by those with no regard for human life outside of their family; why would I allow such a weak, pitiful girl to live at my mercy? I could not possibly fathom...

I shook my head of these thoughts, clearing my mind as I noted that the sun was almost completely gone over the horizon and soon it would be night. This was my cue to go back inside, and hopefully sleep soon so I could escape my conscious, even if only for a few hours. I would rest myself, but I knew that soon I would find myself in the exact same place, watching the sun rise instead of fall.

* * *

The air was hot and sticky the next day. Sitting in the shadows of trees was nice, but it still didn't change much about the humidity and what it was doing to my hair. It was getting all poofy...

Annoyed, I was trying to flatten my hair by patting it, and I heard a tiny giggle come from my right. I had heard that giggle once before, recalling a more simplistic time back at the academy.

I gave her a very strange look, and she blushed and looked away. Something deep (very, very deep, as in the darkest depths of the ocean floor kind of deep) inside me _almost _compelled me to smile... Almost. I wasn't entirely sure what it was, but regardness I resisted the slight tug that pulled at the corner of my lips and kept my expression serious and stern.

Hinata couldn't see it, but in my mind I knew how strange that was. It had been an extremely vast amount of time since someone had even remotely impelled me to actually smile. This thought disturbed me.

Cutting my thoughts off completely, I suddenly felt an abrupt sense of chakra incoming. Hinata seemed to notice as well, for she gasped and looked off in one direction.

"Sasuke-" She began, but I cut her off.

"I know... Someone's coming."

* * *

_Hinata's POV_

* * *

Through my byakugan eyes I could see two people running towards us at an extremely high pace. _Oh no... _I thought. _Who could it be?_

Sasuke activated his sharingan, and silently waited. In a matter of seconds, two nin sped by us. One moment Sasuke was beside me, the next he was on the ground haulting the people in their path. They skidded to a stop. Sasuke held his hand on the sword he always kept in his belt; I'd never seen him use it before, and I was really hoping I didn't have to.

I didn't know what to do, so I stayed in the tree and watched, trying to get a better look to distinguish who it was, but I really couldn't recognize their chakra. I did not know these ninja, but I could make out the symbol on their headbands and saw that they were from the Sand. _What are ninja from the sand doing here? _I wondered. Sasuke stared at them with blazing red eyes that even struck fear into my heart despite the fact that he was not looking at me._  
_

"Get out of our way!" One of the ninja demanded, but Sasuke did not comply. He continued to stare them down, studying them, likely analysing who they were. When he said nothing for several moments, the other ninja spoke out.

"He said get out of the way, Uchiha scum, or we'll kill you right here."

The chakra these men possessed was not weak, but nothing comparable to the great chakra that Sasuke emanated. The men talked with confidence, but I could see by their expressions that Sasuke was making them uneasy. After another few moments, Sasuke decided to speak out.

"What business do you have in the leaf?"

"No business of yours!" Shouted one of the ninja angrily.

What happened next almost happened too quickly for me to process.

Blood.

Dark, mass amounts of blood lined Sasuke's blade, and splattered across his clothing and skin. In a mere instant, the two men lay slain in the dirt. Sasuke stood before them and stared at their bodies with blazing eyes that read no emotion. I gazed down with shock, trembling where I sat. _I didn't even see him move... He just standing there, and in a flash both of those men are dead! _It terrified me to see this happen, realizing how easy it really would be for Sasuke to take my life. He could strike at any given moment, and I would never be able to see it coming.

Sasuke hovered over the murdered corpses for but another moment, before he looked up at me. His eyes were no longer red, and had reverted to their original onyx black.

"Let's go." He said to me in a surprisingly soft tone. I got a hold of myself and jumped down next to him, trying to avert my eyes from the bodies, but the sight would never be unseen. We walked through the forest in silence; I didn't dare speak a word. I was still trying to calm myself down from what I had just seen. The blood that covered Sasuke was not helping. We arrived at a creek, and Sasuke told me to wait off to the side while he washed himself off.

I sat behind a bush and held my knees to my chest, trying to erase the images from my mind but they did not cease. My heart was beating heavy in my chest, and I felt like I was about to have an anxiety attack. _Calm down, Hinata. _I told myself. _You've seen it all before, it's no different..._

I peeked back through the bushes and could see him rinsing the blood off his body, tingeing the water with red. He wore a serious expression as he momentarily dunked his head under the water only to bring it back up with his face clean of all traces of blood. _What goes through a persons mind after they kill? _I speculated as he removed his shirt and began to rinse it in the creek as well.

It was impossible to guess what he was thinking about; he could have been feeling remorseful or he could have been feeling nothing at all. His face was so cold, so emotionless. It was like he had been trained to erase any human emotion from his mind without any anguish.

Sasuke was undoubtedly the most _chilling _description of an assassin.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading :) Please leave a review, any sort of feedback would be great. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

~Homely


	8. chapter seven: fatal attraction

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

_**chapter seven; **fatal attraction_

* * *

_Hinata's POV_

* * *

_My chest was beating faster than it ever had before. His body was so close to mine... He pressed himself against me as he lay on top of me. I tried to move, but he had me pinned down by my wrists. He whispered something in my ear, sending sharp chills crawling across my skin. He spoke softly, almost provacatively, his lips now grazing from my ear across my cheek..._

I awoke in a sweat.

_A dream... _I thought, a sense of relief falling over me. _It was only a dream..._

I hung my head in shame at that moment, thinking of how disgraceful it was for thoughts such as those to have even entered my mind, whether I was conscious or not.

I found myself awake for several hours after that, until the sun began to rise. My mind was dwelling on the feelings I had imagined in my dream only caused by being in contact with Sasuke; it was fear, mixed with a strong tingly feeling in my chest that I could only describe as _esctacy. _I was crestfallen by this, mortified even, because although I never would have told anybody, I knew in my own mind that I had grown intrigued by this.

* * *

The first time Sasuke lay his eyes on me come morning I averted them.

"I have to go report to my father about the incident yesterday." He told me. "I'm putting a seal on this place while I'm gone, so don't get any ideas." He spoke somewhat bitterly, and I nodded shyly keeping my eyes glued to my feet. I wouldn't have tried anything any ways, but I understood why he wouldn't trust that.

He left me alone with my thoughts at that time. I let out a long sigh, relieved to be out of his presence. I could relax for a bit, at least while he was gone.

I sat down on a chair and slouched, softening my muscles so they were no longer so tense. Now that I was alone, it seemed so quiet. My eyes were wandering around the room, when I noticed the corner of a piece of paper sticking out from under Sasuke's bed. Curious, I reached under and picked up it; it was a drawing of a nude woman from behind sketched in black ink. She had long dark hair, a thin figure and appeared to be standing in shallow water.

The picture was not by any means at all sexual, it was actually quite beautiful. I had never taken Sasuke to be the artistic type, but he appeared to have some talent. It was just a rough sketch, but it still portrayed the natural beauty of the female figure he must have been trying to depict.

I returned the picture to its rightful place so Sasuke wouldn't know I had looked at it. I figured he would have been a bit angry, and would probably think I was snooping. I sat in silence for several moments, before much to my dismay, my mind wandered back to the dream I had the night before. Ever since, this had been heavily on my conscious.

I pondered it for what must have been hours, accepting the guilt, accepting the shame, and accepting the dishonor... And eventually, I even accepted the fact that I had grown attracted to Sasuke. I had always thought him to be a good looking boy, even in the days of the academy, but now things were much different, and the way I had imagined myself with him was something that had never entered my mind before. I could learn to accept all these things, but I knew very well that I would never conquer the embarrassment and ignominy.

_How despicable am I... _I thought, head handing low. _To be attracted to one of those responsible for my enslavement and the destuction of my village..._

Just at that time, the door opened and Sasuke had returned. I looked at him with shock, unprepared to be around him. I hadn`t even realized that he had been gone for four hours already. My face flushed intensely when his dark irises met mine. He gave me a weirded out look.

"What's your problem?" He inquired, cocking an eyebrow.

"N-N-N-Nothing!" I stamered nervously.

"You're all red..." Sasuke commented as he took a seat next to me, the blush on my face only getting deeper the closer he got to me. He slowly raised his hand, and began to draw it towards my face...

_Oh my god what is he doing...! _My inner self screamed as Sasuke's cold hand came in contact with my forehead. _Oh god he's touching me, why is he touching me!_

He held his hand to my forehead for a moment before pulling it away. "Are you sick?" He queried. "You're burning up." I said nothing. A look of irriatation crossed his face. "If you're feeling sick you better let me know, I don't want to catch anything... I'll be really pissed off if you get me sick, Hinata."

"N-No, I'm not sick." I said quietly, avoiding eye contact. "It's just a bit hot in here."

"Well, take off your jacket then."

I didn't really want to remove my jacket considering all I had underneath was a very small tank top, and I generally wasn't comfortable showing any of my skin, but the way Sasuke said it made me feel like I had to. So, I took it off, something I hadn't done in front of anyone for a very long time. I instantly felt even more awkward with so much of my body showing, but at least it was cooler so my face wasn't as hot...

* * *

_Sasuke's POV_

* * *

Hinata seemed to be extremely nervous, and I didn't quite understand why... I hadn't done anything violent or aggresive that I was aware of, yet still she sat there trembling with her face beet red as if I had threatened her or something. It was very odd.

I was exhausted from the visit to my father... Needless to say, he wasn't happy that I was attacked, and was definitely concerned that the attack came from Suna. He took it out on me by making me run erends for him for hours, which basically consisted of me running back and fourth between house to house passing on messages. It was extremely tiring, not to mention really fucking boring.

I didn't even want to move for the rest of the day, but I knew that I still had to go lurk in the trees in two hours... I groaned out loud. _I am getting to tired of this job. _I thought. _I wish I could just quit..._

"Hey, uh..." I began somewhat awkwardly, scratching the back of my head. Hinata's strangeness was making me feel weird as well. "Do you think you could... Make sushi?"

Her face was still as flushed as a tomato. She nodded frantically and stood up right away, walking over to the kitchen on the other side of the small room. My gaze lingered on her as she walked, finding my eyes scanning across the tiny piece of lavender cloth covering her torso that was _supposed _to be clothing.

"U-Uhm..." Hinata stuttered, snapping me out of what must have been a momentary trance. My gaze snapped to her face, realizing that she had noticed me gawking at her body. In that moment, it was now I who had the red face. As an instant reaction to this embarassment, I decided to act angry.

"Erm... What?" I kind of sneered. "What are you looking at?"

"I-I just wanted to know what you like in your sushi...?" She asked anxiously.

"I honestly don't care, I'm not picky." I stated rudely. "Just put whatever in it and I'll eat it." She didn't respond and continued preparing the food. _What is wrong with me today? _I asked myself, confused about my behaviour. We said nothing to each other until she was done, and served me a plate with six perfect looking sushi rolls on it.

"If you don't like it I can remake it." She offered as I took the first bite. I declined by shaking my head.

"It's actually good."

"Oh, that's great." She smiled slightly, before quietly sitting down. I stopped eating for a moment and noticed that she didn't have a plate.

"Why aren't you eating?" I asked.

"U-Um, well, I wasn't given permission."

"Permission...?" I almost laughed. "Eat." I ordered. "Or else you really will get sick."

She nodded querulously and sped back over to the kitchen, and I thought _what a strange girl._

* * *

Sorry to cut the chapter off kinda short there, but I really wanted to get this posted. :) Please review and let me know what you think, good or bad! Also, check out my **deviantart (reckless-abandoned) **to see some **fanart **I made for this fic! Thanks so much for reading.


	9. chapter eight: a glimmer of hope

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

_**chapter eight; **a glimmer of hope_

* * *

_Hinata's POV_

* * *

With each day that passed, I began to notice the time slipping away quickly. The days seemed long, yet at the end of the week in my memory they appeared to be but a blur.

It had been two weeks since I had that dream about Sasuke, and it hardly seemed like any time had passed at all. It could have been because during those two weeks, every day felt exactly the same. Sasuke and I were quiet with each other, aside from a few idle conversations that usually resulted in me blushing and acting all awkward. I knew my attraction for him was only growing, and I didn't like it.

I tried to keep my mind off it but it was next to impossible when he was the only person I ever saw... Even when I was trying to sleep, he was the only thing that occupied my thoughts. I started to hate myself for it more and more every night.

Although most days were the same (no sign of anyone threatening an attack), one particular day some people were walking through the woods yet again. As Sasuke and I hid in the trees, the hair on the back of my neck stood up remembering what happened last time someone decided to come through. I didn't want to see anyone get killed again.

But the people, though they gave off vast amounts of chakra, were walking very calmly and slowly towards us. From afar, it didn't seem like they had any ill intentions, but who would be coming to the leaf without them? As far as I knew, no one was very fond of the Uchiha but the Uchiha.

As they grew closer, I began to see their faces. Needless to say, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was Hokage Tsunade, Kakashi-Sensei, Guy-Sensei, and a few anbu ninja. I gulped. I was about to tell Sasuke what I could see, but before I could he told me "Stay here." and jumped down to wait for them while I silently spectated. My heart was racing.

_What are they doing here?_

"Ahh... If it isn't Sasuke Uchiha." Lady Tsunade said defiantly as her and the others came to a stop.

Sasuke ignored this statement. "What are you all doing here?" He questioned.

"We need to speak to your father, Sasuke." Kakashi said. I could tell by his expression (behind his mask) that he was not happy to see Sasuke, considering Kakashi was his sensei way back when.

"Why should I let you past?" Sasuke sneered angrily and Tsunade laughed.

"Does it look like you have a choice?" She mocked. It was true; Sasuke was highly out numbered by many extremely powerful ninja... Though he was capable a lot, I didn't think he would be near capable to defeat them all. I hoped to god that he wouldn't try it.

He was silent for a moment. "What do you wish to speak to him about?"

"That isn't your business right now." Said Kakashi. "Please just let us through, we didn't come here to fight. We simply wish to speak to Fugaku."

Sasuke's brows furrowed intensely as he contemplated this.

"We've already sent a message to him prior to this, he is expecting our arrival." Tsunade said.

"And why exactly should I believe that?"

"Because I have his reply written right here." The Hokage approached Sasuke holding a piece of paper. He warrily took a step back, before snatching it from her possesion. He read over it for a moment, before nodding and returning it.

"I guess I have no choice then..." He muttered.

"That's what I thought." Tsunade's voice was laced with disgust with every word she spoke to the Uchiha. I could only imagine her hatred towards them.

Sasuke silently stood aside and allowed them to pass. Once they were a fair distance away, he jumped back up next to me in the tree.

"I'm surprised they didn't say anything about you." He said to me, sighing with exasperation.

"I wonder what they are saying to your father..." I mused.

"Who knows, I felt pretty angry having to let them pass though... I wanted to escort them, but in my fathers letter it stated that there would be a team of people to meet them at the gate of the village. He would have been pissed if I had tagged along."

To this I said nothing, my thoughts still lingering on Tsunade and the others... It felt so strange to lay eyes on them after three long years. A glimmer of hope ignited in my heart, thinking that maybe, just maybe Lady Tsunade had a way of stopping all this...

* * *

Hey, thanks for reading! Sorry that the chapter is so short, I promise I'll be updating soon with a much longer one :) thanks again for reading, and please review!


	10. chapter nine: torment

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

_**chapter nine; **torment _

* * *

_Sasuke's POV_

* * *

"War."

My heart thumped loudly at the sound of that word coming from my father's mouth. My adrenaline was peaking by the second, but no words could escape my lips for I had too many thing running through my mind to say. My father sat facing opposite to me at the table in the shack. Hinata had been told to go downstairs so we could have a private conversation.

"I had been foolish to assume something like this would not happen." He continued with a frustrated sigh. "We all grew far too comfortable these past few years; of course while we were enjoying our power, they were building up their army. Although we slaughtered most of Konoha that fateful day, there were still many who escaped, and now they have Suna on their side as well."

There were a few moments of silence before I responded. "So what exactly are you telling me?"

"Don't act stupid, Sasuke." Anger crossed his furrowed brows. "We have no other choice; we must fight them, and we must win. This time... This time we can't afford to leave any survivors."

"Then what exactly am I doing here? Surely you don't expect me to sit on the sidelines while-"

"Of course not." He cut me off harshly, banging his hand to the table. "You will be fighting with us. You will be treated no differently just because you are young, Sasuke."

"I don't want to be treated any differently."

"Good. However in the meantime, I need you to stick with your current mission and be on the lookout. We can't trust that they won't try to make a surprise attack before the war actually begins."

"But that's not fair!" I stood up angrily. "I don't want to sit around and wait, I want to help out!"

My father stood up calmly and crossed his arms over his chest. "You are helping out by following my orders. There is nothing that I need you to do right now other than stay here and do your job. Be patient... When the time has come, you will find that your talents will no longer be wasted here."

I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down; I knew he was right, it just angered me how I had to sit around and wait for something to happen stuck in that stupid shack. But to my dismay, I had no choice in the matter. So I sat back down and said nothing more of it.

"I'm leaving now, Sasuke." My father said, heading towards the door. "Be careful, I'll check back in on you in a few days." And with that he was gone, leaving me to my thoughts.

_A war... _I pondered, adrenaline pumping through my veins at the very thought of it. I had no fear in the back of my mind that the Uchiha would fall. _They're all fools... They will never win against us._

When I went downstairs to check on Hinata, I didn't expect to see her sleeping peacefully. With everything that was racing through my mind, it was hard to imagine that there was anything peaceful in this world at all; yet there she was. I don't know why I did this, but I sat down beside her resting body on the bed and kind of just stared at her for a few moments. She had such a calm aura surrounding her, it gave me a strange sense of tranquility for only a split second.

I snapped out of whatever kind of trance I was in and lightly shook her to wake her up. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and when they fell upon me she instantly shot up in her bed and looked at me with shock.

"S-Sasuke!" She exclaimed, startled. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to fall asleep..."

"No worries." I said, standing up. I wasn't sure whether I should have told her what was happening or not, but then again I figured it didn't really matter either way. "You and I need to have a discussion." I told her, heading towards the stairs. "I made something to eat, so you should come upstairs."

She nodded. "O-Okay, I'll be right up."

I'm not too sure how well she took the news, but when I told her she didn't seem too surprised. She simply sat there silently with nothing to say, which was a typical reaction for her.

With each day that passed since the news, it seemed that my torment was only growing. I felt antsy and anxious every single day to hear something from my father; I wanted the war to begin. I wanted to fight.

I wanted to kill.

And being patient wasn't exactly my strong suit; I needed something to entertain me while I waited and keep me occupied, but what was I supposed to do? All I had was that shack and Hinata.

Well, after a while I started to really notice something about myself... And about her.

And that is where my true torment began.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry for another short chapter, update will be in the next few days I promise :) please review and let me know how I did! I wrote this kind of fast so hopefully it isn't too rushed.

**REVIEW PLEASE! :D**


	11. chapter ten: personal demons

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

_**chapter ten;** personal demons__  
_

* * *

_Sasuke's POV_

* * *

About a week and a half had passed since the news of the war, and I wasn't exactly dealing well.

I was constantly nervous, irritated and anxious, which wasn't like me other than the irritation. It was normal for me to be easily irritated, but anxiety wasn't typically a thing I had to deal with.

I wasn't nervous about the war; I was excited about that. I _longed _for it, actually, imagining the feeling of flesh breaking around my blade made my skin crawl every time. But being trapped in that shack for all my days with little to no freedom was fucking with my head; it almost felt like I was going stir crazy or something. It was treacherous.

To make matters _much _worse, over the course of a few short days certain dark thoughts began to slither their way from the cavern of my mind to the open plains where I thought clearly.

Something ignited within myself that I'd never felt before... I think that these thoughts had been there for some time, but they were not apparent; they were locked away, only to be triggered the more I got used to _her_ _presence._

It's not like I actually _liked _her or anything... She was just a silly girl... But despite that, there _was_ something about her that was intriguing me.

It was mid-day when she offered to make food for me, and I quietly accepted. As she stood in the kitchen taking things out of the fridge, my eyes lingered on her small frame, tracing each slim contour and occasionally stopping at her waist or chest. There was something very enticing about her figure, something that made me want to violently grab her and do things unmentionable.

I was haunted by this.

inappropriate thoughts that I'd never thought of any woman before were consuming my mind, tormenting me at night. And every time I was around her, I couldn't stop myself from looking. I'd never been attracted to a girl like that before; it afflicted me, for there was no way in hell I could _ever _act upon it.

So I remained dormant, trying to speak to her as little as possible in an attempt to pry myself away from these feelings, but even just not speaking to her was hard. For whatever sick twisted reason I _wa__nted_ to talk to her. Part of me felt guilty and disgusted for looking at her like that... But a larger part of my mind screamed at me to just satisfy what I craved.

_There is no fucking way. _I told myself. _There is no fucking way I am doing that. Absolutely not._

_... Maybe just..._

_NO._

I rested my head on the table and sighed longingly, despising the pent up frustration inside of me. I was anxious about the war, I was anxious to get out of there, and now I was anxious about Hinata...

_This is wrong. _I thought. _I'm not supposed to be anxious about anything. Since when do I get anxious?_

"What is it you wanted again?" Her voice chimed in my ear, snapping me out of my train of thought. I met with her soft eyes and averted them quickly.

"Um, just anything... Sushi... Or even just rice... I don't care." I nonchalantly replied, keeping my eyes shut so I didn't have to look at her.

* * *

Hinata's POV

* * *

_I think he hates me... _I thought as I rolled him sushi rolls to the best of my ability. Sasuke had been acting weird lately, even more distant that he was before. I figured that it could have been because of the war, but my own insecurities couldn't help but make me think that I was the problem.

This upset me... I didn't want Sasuke to hate me. As much as I hated _myself _for that, I couldn't deny the truth of how I felt. My attraction for him had not lessened... Quite the opposite, really. I always tried to please him by doing whatever he asked, but it seemed that no matter what he was always irritated by me. I sighed sadly as I brought him his food and set it down. I suppose I wasn't exactly hiding my depression, for the next thing Sasuke said made my face go beet red.

"Is something wrong?" He inquired, catching me completely off guard.

I jumped a bit at his words and looked away. "N-No, nothings wrong." I stammered nervously. He swallowed a bite of sushi before putting his chop sticks down.

"You look upset." He commented.

"No, I'm fine." I insisted, but I could feel his eyes drilling into me. Was I that easy to read?

"Why don't you eat something?" He asked with a surprisingly soft tone.

"I'm not very hungry." I answered truthfully and he shrugged, picking up his chop sticks.

"Suit yourself." He said before he continued eating.

I sat back and tried to relax a bit, losing myself in my thoughts. I wondered what was going to happen when the war began; what would happen to me? I imagined that Sasuke would be sent off to fight and I would probably be locked in a cell somewhere... But I didn't want that to happen. I pondered what may happen to Sasuke and I; would we ever see each other again? He probably didn't care, but I certainly did.

I wasn't positive if the war was a good thing... At first it seemed that it may be, because there was a chance that Konoha could win, but what if they didn't? That would only mean more pointless demise.

But if they were to win, then what would happen? I suppose that I would be freed; I could live among the remaining survivors of the massacre in the village and rebuild. The thought of freedom did sound quite lovely, but then again...

What would happen to Sasuke?

_Would he die?_

And most importantly... Why did I care so much?

* * *

**A/N: **Hey guys, thanks for reading! Am I rushing this too much!? Please let me know, constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated. But anyways I hope you enjoyed it, I tried :D **please review!**


	12. chapter eleven: he was somewhat human

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

_**chapter eleven;** he was somewhat human_

* * *

_Hinata's POV_

* * *

Early the next day, Fugaku Uchiha stopped by to see how Sasuke was doing. I had awoken feeling weak and kind of sick, so as I quietly prepared food for them in the kitchen I was finding it difficult to keep my eyes open. Sasuke and his father were sitting at the table conversing.

"Slave girl." Fugaku slurred violently towards me. "You are taking your sweet time making that, aren't you?"

I flinched at the way he spoke to me, intimidating me even more than I already was. "I apologize, sir." I spoke quietly and as quickly as I could I finished up what I was making and made my way towards them. I was so exhausted... As I walked, I could feel my knees growing weak as I felt the sudden need to collapse. _Oh no, anything but this. _My mind whimpered as I feared what may happen next. I tried my absolute best to keep myself up, I really did, but unfortunately I could no longer stand. My knees bucked and I went crashing to the ground, along with the food I had prepared.

I heard both of their chairs scrape against the floor as they abruptly stood up.

"Worthless girl!" Fugaku spat.

"I-I'm so sorry!" I stammered, trying to pick myself up but I only slipped and landed on my butt. I didn't dare look up, for I was truly terrified of what may happen to my next.

"You're pathetic." He took a step closer to my, and I raised my eyes for only a second before flinching away at the sight of his hand coming straight for me. I held on tight and prepared for the pain...

But much to my surprise, the strike never hit.

Terrified, I opened my eyes and I couldn't believe what I saw. Sasuke's hand was gripped firmly to his father's wrist. _He... He stopped him from hitting me... _I couldn't process it. _Why would Sasuke do such a thing?_

"What do you think you're doing!?" Fugaku shouted angrily, ripping his wrist away from his son.

"That isn't necessary, father." Sasuke spoke calmly.

"What are you saying? It's simple discipline, you dare oppose me?"

Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest. "_I'm _in charge of her, so _I'll _punish her later. For now, I think we should continue our conversation. Something of actual importance."

"Hmph." Fugaku looked angry, but he sat back down nonetheless. "I suppose you have a point." His eyes darted to me, causing me to jump in fright. "But don't think _you're _off the hook. Sasuke, you must dicipline the girl after I take my leave... You are my son, after all. I know what you're capable of."

Sasuke nodded and returned to his seat as well. Fugaku's words sent shivers down my spine. I wasn't sure if it would have been better to take Fugaku's beating than to be punished by Sasuke later... After all, I knew what he was capable of as well.

* * *

Later in the day, after Sasuke's father left I was still feeling ill. A few hours had passed and I anticipated his 'punishment', feeling fear rise each time he grew near me. But shockingly, he never did anything. He barely said a word to me until about an hour before we were supposed to go out.

"You aren't feeling well, are you?" He inquired, catching me off guard.

I blushed and averted his stone gaze. "I-I'm fine."

"You're lying."

"N-No I'm fine, really."

Sasuke stopped and stared at me for a moment. "When was the last time you ate?"

Yet another question that surprised me; _Why does he have to ask? It doesn't even matter. _I thought, but of course I would never say that to him. "Um, I can't quite remember, to be honest."

"The last time I saw you eat must have been two days ago." He furrowed his dark brows. "Well, I think I've thought of a suitable punishment for your little screw up earlier today in front of my father."

I looked to him then, my anxiety reaching a peak, thinking _oh god, I hope he doesn't do anything horrible!_

There was a moment of silence before he spoke. "Your punishment is to eat."

_Wait... What?_

"I'm sorry?" I was baffled. My punishment... Was food?

"Hmph, you heard me. Now go make yourself something and eat all of it." I still didn't move, confused if he was being serious or not. Judging by his expression, he definitely was. So I hesitantly stood up and approached the kitchen. "Silly girl. If you don't eat anything, of course you're going to feel tired and weak. I can't be working with someone who's constantly falling over. So from now on, I'm ordering you to eat at least twice a day."

I looked at him with shock, before smiling a little and nodding. "O-Okay. I'll make sure to eat from now on."

"And you don't need permission, by the way." He added nonchalantly.

Thinking about how Fugaku had spoken to me earlier compared to how Sasuke spoke now, I started thinking. The way the man addressed me was considerably different than how Sasuke did; he ordered me to do things harsh and mean, whereas Sasuke seemed more calm about it. Fugaku referred to me as _slave girl, _whereas Sasuke just called me _silly. _

I expected no less from Fugaku, the mastermind behind Konoha's overthrowing, I just didn't understand why Sasuke was seemingly so forgiving. All I really understood was that I was very thankful to him. As cold and bitter as he was, there was something about him that I could see; a small part of him was somewhat _human, _something I never expected to see even the slightest glimpse of in any Uchiha.

* * *

**A/N:** UGH I'm sorry for such another short event-less chapter :( I'm having writers block, which sucks. But I managed to squeeze this short chapter out, so I hope you like it anyways :) I'll try my best to update as soon as possible.

Thanks for reading, and PLEASE REVIEW!


	13. chapter twelve: curiosity would kill him

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

_**chapter twelve;** curiosity would kill him_

* * *

_Sasuke's POV_

* * *

I tapped my foot anxiously to the beat of the clock ticking, fiddling with my fingers and occasionally glancing over to the girl who sat next to me.

Simply put, I was bored out of my fucking mind.

I wondered if she was as bored as I was... I imagined yes. After a long day of sitting around doing nothing in a tree, I really wished that there was at least something to keep me entertained during my free time. It had been a couple of days since I saw my father, and he didn't tell me anything useful; just to stay put and hold out until he came next. But that just wasn't fair, to leave me sitting around _all the time _with Hinata while him and Itachi did important things regarding the war. _Why do I have to be the one to sit out? I'm fucking bored, this isn't fair._

Not to mention how stressed out I was. My boredom increased, my anxiousness increased, and my infatuation with Hinata increased as well. All factors that contributed to my rising level of stress. I knew I needed something to keep my mind off everything, but I'd thought about it for hours and there was simply nothing. So, I decided to ask Hinata if maybe she had any ideas.

"So..." I awkwardly began, catching her attention. "We should do something."

"Like what?" She inquired quietly.

"I was hoping you could think of something." I admitted. "I don't know what there possibly is to do around here."

"Well, me neither to be honest." She laughed a little. "Well, maybe we could go for a walk? The sun just set, it looks like a nice night tonight..."

I shrugged nonchalantly. "I suppose that could be relaxing."

"I think so too." She smiled sweetly at me, and I could only blush a bit and look away. _Why does she always have to be so smiley? It makes me feel so awkward when she looks at me like that._

Hinata threw on her jacket and the two of us left the shack with no real destination in mind. The stars were just beginning to come out, and as we approached the forest I could already feel my mind was growing to be a bit more at ease.

"You were right." I told her. "I feel more relaxed already."

"Do you? That's good." She giggled. "I used to always walk at night back in the day to clear my mind... It always seems to help."

She was definitely right about that one, the cool night time air was refreshing, and it was a different scene for me to be walking so calmly through the forest. The moon was bright in the sky, and not a cloud touched the clear midnight blue. We walked in total silence, both of us caught up in our own thoughts.

About an hour into the forest, aimlessly walking with no direction, we happened upon a hot spring.

"Well I don't know about you, but I can't pass up this opportunity." I told her, and with no hesitation I dropped my clothing. Hinata gasped, and I almost chuckled. "What's wrong?" I mocked, amused by her reaction. She was blushing intensely and hiding her face from me, not daring to look. "It's just simple human anatomy, you shouldn't be freaked out by it."

"I um, um, um..." She stammered nervously. "I've just never seen..."

"I don't plan on standing outside of the water and conversing with you completely naked, Hinata." I informed, stepping into the water. It was just as hot and refreshing as it looked, and I took a seat on one of the rocks so the water was successfully covering me up. "You can look now."

She peeked over and me and let out a sigh of relief. On the outside I looked very apathetic, but on the inside I was laughing hysterically at how uncomfortable I made her. I wasn't sure if it was mean to do or not, but I didn't care; it was amusing, and I really needed that after how I'd been feeling for the past while.

I sat there for a moment or two, basking in my calm thoughts, before of course the bad ones started coming in. Hinata was standing with her back faced to the forest, and my eyes scanned up her figure imagining what she could be hiding under that bulky jacket. _I could ask her to come in... _I thought, seriously contemplating it. _Then again I have no idea how she'll react, and if she does come in I have no idea how I'll react either._

_But I really am just curious..._

"Hey, what are you doing over there?" I called over, and she looked over her shoulder.

"Oh just standing here waiting..."

"You should come in as well." And her face after I said that was absolutely priceless. She jumped a bit and her eyes went wider than I'd ever seen them before, her pale white face instantly as red as a cherry. Slowly and nervously, she faced me.

"U-Um, y-you want m-me... To go in there? With you?"

I half smirked. "Why not? This is probably the only chance either of us will get to go in a hot spring for a while. I can tell you've been stressed out too, you should just relax."

There were many moments of silence after this where Hinata stood still, in complete shock at my words. I never realized how amusing she could be before that day.

"Bu-But..." She stuttered. "I don't- Well it's just- You'll see..."

"I won't look." I said, but it was sort of a lie. I could tell she was embarrassed and _very _nervous, but when she kicked off her sandals my smirk widened. I turned rotated away from her, enough that I could still kind of see her in my peripherals.

"H-Hey!" She exclaimed. "You're looking at me!"

"Not even!" I retorted. "Why would I even look? You're flattering yourself."

She quieted down after that, and I heard her unzip her jacket and begin to strip the rest of her clothing. I could still slightly see her, but I didn't look because I knew now that she wasn't afraid to say anything about it, and though I hated to admit it to myself I was kind of embarrassed too. The next thing I knew, she was safely under the water, but her face still blushed and she sat as far away from me as she possibly could.

We sat in silence, and after a while she seemed to calm down a little, but I didn't. I couldn't stop imagining her, and it was irritating me; I was thoroughly pissed off at myself, thinking that I never should have let my perverted thoughts get ahead of me. Now Hinata and I were completely naked in a hot spring, and this was tormenting me.

* * *

_Hinata's POV_

* * *

I couldn't believe where I was sitting.

Ass naked...

In a hot spring...

With an also naked Sasuke...

_Oh god, this is too weird. I should not have agreed to get in this thing. What if he sees me naked? What if he already has? _But I thought about his words, and realized that Sasuke really didn't care about seeing me naked at all. He told me not to flatter myself, so, I wouldn't. Still, it was odd how he wanted me to join him to begin with. Maybe he really did just think I needed to relax.

And it definitely would have been relaxing, had Sasuke not been in as well. We said nothing to each other for a while, before he broke the silence. I couldn't help but notice that he was acting weird.

"Hey can I tell you something?" He asked, sliding closer to me. I wanted to inch away from him but I didn't want to be rude, or risk my boobs being exposed. I stared at him with a red face as he grew closer to me and set himself right next to me. He was close... Too close.

"W-W-W-What is it?" I choked on my own words, excitement and anxiety running through my veins. _He looks so cute..._

Sasuke stared at me in the eyes with his usual straight face for several moments before looking away. "Forget it." He said, moving back to his original spot. I frowned in confusion.

"Huh?"

"Just forget it." He spat, seeming to get angry now, so I decided not to press the matter any further. I dropped it, but I couldn't stop thinking about it, and how strange Sasuke had been acting since we decided to go on a walk. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, just weird; he didn't seem quite as irritated and bitter as he always had.

Eventually, Sasuke stepped out of the water and used his droopy white shirt as a towel. He didn't look at me as he put the rest of his clothes back on; I took this as an opportune moment to quickly get dressed. Quietly, I pulled myself out of the water and instantly covered myself with my jacket, my eyes never leaving him. I was too embarrassed to let him even see me for a split second, whether he wanted to or not. Thankfully, I was skilled at getting dressed as fast as possible.

Once I was dressed, Sasuke walked up to me and stood before me as if he had something to say. But he simply stared; my heart fluttered at the look in his eyes. I couldn't quite read what they were saying, but they made me feel weak in the knees.

"Hmph." He muttered before turning to walk away. "Let's go."

And with that, the two of us left the hot spring to return to the shack. I couldn't help but think; _what just happened here?_

* * *

**A/N: **Well this one was a longer one :) I hope you guys like it! Thanks so much for the reviews, I'll try to update again as soon as possible.

**Please review! **


	14. chapter thirteen: a golden opportunity

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

_**chapter thirteen;** a golden opportunity, wasted_

* * *

_Hinata's POV_

* * *

The wind blew strong, clashing against the leaves that hung above my head. It was raging angrily, as if a powerful storm was brewing, yet not a single cloud hung in the sky.

"I can sense something." Sasuke said, leading forward intently.

"I don't see anything." I said, activating my byakugan.

"I can just sense it... Someone is coming."

I observed more closely, and even still I could not see anything, until after a moment or two a few faint shadows began to appear far off in the woods. They were drawing close very quickly. It was amazing how he was able to sense them from so far away.

"Who do you think it is?" I inquired, growing concerned.

"I'm not sure..." Sasuke muttered. As the figures grew closer, I could tell he was feeling very on edge. These figures possessed immense amounts of chakra. "They're definitely from the leaf... I recognize their chakra."

"Really? You think you may know them?"

"I'm positive I do. I know exactly who it is." And with that he jumped down on the ground, putting his hand readily on the handle of the sword he had sheathed. My heartbeat increased; a very strong gust of wind blew my hair out of my face as I began to recognize these chakras too... Well, at least I knew one of them.

As I began to make out the appearances of the people, I was certain that it was Naruto.

Without thinking, I jumped down from my perch and landed next to Sasuke. He looked at me with shocked and angered eyes.

"What are you doing? Go away, let me handle this." But before I even had the chance to listen to his orders, none other than Naruto Uzumaki appeared before us. With him was Sakura Haruno.

It felt so strange to lay eyes on Naruto again... Back at the academy, he had been the one whom I sought to be with. For a very long time, I had a crush on him, but he never really paid much attention to me. He was also on Sasuke's team at the academy along with Sakura. He had grown up a lot, just like the rest of us. It was nice to see that he was alive and well.

"I knew I would find you here." Naruto said. When Sakura's eyes fell on Sasuke, I could tell by her expression that she was probably feeling similar to how I did looking at Naruto.

"Naruto." Sasuke spat. "What are you doing here? Leave. Now."

"Pft, as if! I'm not listening to you!" Naruto's bright blue orbs landed on me now, and I simply stared back in shock. "Hinata..."

"I don't want to have to kill you, Naruto." Sasuke slurred. "Just leave now and don't come back."

"You couldn't kill me." The blonde assured. "I've been training ever since your pathetic clan took over Konoha, I have no intentions of losing to any Uchiha!"

Sasuke simply laughed mockingly at this. "I've always been stronger than you, and I always will be. These are just simple facts. Both of you against me wouldn't even stand a chance."

"Don't sound so cocky." A confident smile crossed his lips. "Things have changed since the days at the academy. I won't be so easy to push around."

"So you really want to fight me then, yes?"

"No!" Sakura exclaimed, desperation lacing her voice. "Don't fight. Sasuke why can't you join us? Leave behind this life of crime!"

Sasuke smirked and shook his head. "You really think that's a possibility, Sakura? You're just as naive as ever, I see." She looked hurt by this comment and said no more.

"Sasuke I hate you for what you and your clan did to Konoha," Naruto began. "but I believe there is still hope for you... After all, you're still my best friend."

"Is that why you came here today?" The Uchiha queried, irritation crossing his brow. "To try to convince me to abandon my clan and join you?"

"Yes."

"Well then I'm afraid you're wrong." Sasuke drew his sword and both Naruto and Sakura took a wary step back.

"I'm not here to fight today, that wasn't the plan!" Naruto exclaimed. "If you really won't consider joining us, then at least there is one thing I can do!"

The next thing that happened occurred so quickly that I had no time to even process it. I was standing safely behind Sasuke one moment, and the next I was being carried by Naruto's arms. He was racing through the forest jumping from tree to tree, and I looked down at Sasuke who stared up with shocked eyes. After a moment he began to chase after us.

_What is going on? _I thought, utterly confused. _Naruto must want to take me to be with the others... _Under normal circumstances this would have been an absolute dream after what I'd gone through these past few years, however...

"S-Stop!" I screeched, trying to wiggle out of Naruto's arms.

"Hinata what are you doing!? I'm trying to save you!"

I shook my head violently. "N-No, just let me down please!" I squirmed and twirled in his arms until finally, he lost his grip and I went falling to the ground. I braced myself to be hurt very badly, but to my surprise I landed safely in someone's arms. When I fluttered open my eyes, I could see it was Sasuke who had snatched me. He came to a stop, as did Naruto.

"Hinata have they brainwashed you or something? You can be reunited with Konoha!" Sakura exclaimed as she caught up to us.

"I... I don't want to go." I admitted. Sasuke let me down, and I instantly dashed behind him and lightly grabbed his arm, hiding behind him as he faced them. I didn't want to look Naruto in the eyes any longer, because in all honesty I had no idea what I was doing. I had not rationalized my decision; I knew that going with them would ultimately mean my freedom yet again, but when I saw the look on Sasuke's face when he saw me being carried away something inside me compelled me to stay.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked sincerely.

"You're not taking her." Sasuke stated aggressively and Naruto's grimace deepened.

"I don't know what you did to Hinata, Sasuke, but I will definitely be back." He sneered, and after that, him and Sakura took off like the wind.

Back at the shack, I found myself deep in thought as I lay on Sasuke's bed facing the ceiling. He was making some sort of food; I offered to do it for him, but for whatever reason he told me to just lay down and that he would do it. I wondered if I had made the right choice by staying... It definitely wasn't something I ever thought I would do. Before being placed with Sasuke, my true dream was to escape the evil clutches of the Uchiha.

I suppose I just didn't want to leave Sasuke, the only reason I had to stay was him. I wanted to be around him for a while longer, I was infatuated with him, and I think I may have even been starting to genuinely care for him. The thought of running away from him frightened me because I had no idea what could happen to him if I wasn't there to witness it first hand; if I had gone with Naruto, I may have never seen Sasuke again.

And I just really hated the sound of that.

"Hey." He called over to me, placing a plate on the table. I sat up and sent him a very toothy grin.

"Thank you so much, Sasuke."

To this, he didn't reply, but naturally I didn't expect him to. We both sat down at the table. He had made rice balls, which were actually one of my favorite foods.

"I have to ask you something..." He began, looking me deep in the eyes. I was frozen for a moment for I could retort.

"What is it?" I smiled.

"Why didn't you want to go with Naruto today?"

My face instantly went red and I averted his stone cold gaze. "Um, well, you see..." I hesitated for several moments, my brain desperately trying to think of a legitimate excuse but I was drawing a total blank. _I can't tell him the truth, that would be way too embarrassing, but then again what else am I supposed to say? _I was sketching out completely.

My thoughts were cut off by the Sasuke's light laughter. "I'm just confused, you had an opportunity to get away from captivity... You could have been completely free, Hinata. Yet you chose to stay here with me."

"I don't know... I just didn't want to leave, I guess."

His dark orbs gazed into mine. "You're very strange, you know that?" He half smirked, and I smiled nervously.

"Yeah... I know." We were silent after that. I managed to calm down, relieved that I'd gotten away without having to fully explain why I wanted to stay. After we finished eating, I grabbed the plates and put them in the kitchen. On my way back over to the table, Sasuke stood up and stopped me. I looked up at him with curious eyes, and he gently placed a hand on my shoulder leaving a tingle upon contact.

"Thank you for staying."

* * *

**A/N: **I'm still experiencing writers block so I apologize if this wasn't the greatest chapter, but I tried! I hope you like it anyways. Thanks so much for the lovely reviews, your words inspire me to continue writing this story til the end.

Please review!


	15. chapter fourteen: a different side

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

_**chapter fourteen;** a different side _

* * *

_Hinata's POV_

* * *

I suppose it was starting to eat at me more and more as each day passed, that I hadn't gone with Naruto and Sakura. I paced around the basement room in anguish every night, my thoughts always racing thinking _why didn't I go? Was it the right decision? _These thoughts only seemed to disappear while I was in Sasuke's presence... Every other time, I was constantly growing to hate myself for my irrational decision.

It had been raining for about a week, which wasn't doing wonderful things to my health. I appeared to have a small cold, and I wasn't the only one. One particular morning it was pouring especially hard; I woke up on my own, surprised that Sasuke hadn't come down to tell me to get up. So I went upstairs just to see him laying in his bed, which wasn't like him. Sasuke was always up before I was. I approached him and he wasn't moving, so I automatically assumed he was sleeping. But looking at the time, it was almost 9 am and I figured he would have wanted to be awoken. So I lightly poked his shoulder.

He twitched a little but didn't really move. I was starting to grow nervous as I gave him a lighter push. He grumbled and rolled over to face me, his eyes slowly fluttering open. He stared at me through squinted, tired eyes that weren't leaving mine. I think he must have been a bit confused.

"Merrr..." He cooed. "What the hell..." He glanced at the time and a look of shock instantly crossed his face. "W-What? Why did I sleep so late?" He tried to sit up, but clutched his head and fell right back down. "Ow... My fucking head..."

"What's wrong?" I asked through a sniffle.

"My head is killing me."

"I don't feel too good either."

He grumbled and rolled yet again, and I couldn't help but let out a small giggle. "Don't laugh at my pain..." He uttered. "I feel like I can't even move."

I was silent for a moment, listening to the harsh sound of rain beating against the cabin. "Don't move, then. I can make you food or something if you'd like."

"Not right now."

"Should I leave?"

"No, stay."

I could feel my face heat up. Sasuke was so... Trippy, at times. So I stayed with him, sitting in the chair next to his bed while he lay in silence. It didn't sound like the rain was about to calm down any time soon.

"I can't even fall back asleep." Sasuke muttered with his face burried in blankets.

"That's no good. Are you sure you don't want anything?" I offered, and he threw the blanket off his face and looked at me.

"Meh." I tried not to give him a perplexed look due to fear of seeming rude, but he _was_ acting a bit out of character. "I don't want to go outside today... Fuck that. I'm not doing it."

"Really?"

"Yes, there's absolutely no way. I'm obviously sick."

"I definitely am too... Hmph."

"Likely from being out in the rain all week." The Uchiha let out a long, exasperated sigh before his dark eyes fell on me. "Are you cold?"

"A little bit, but I'm fine." I laughed nervously. He moved over to the other side of the bed.

"You can lay down, if you'd like."

_Oh my god. _My face flushed with the heat intensity of a heavy forest fire. _No, no, no, NOPE. This is way too weird. _It's not like I didn't want to lay next to him (I definitely did) I was just insanely weirded out by this proposition. _Wow, he really is sick. _

Either way, as always I did whatever Sasuke told me to do even if it was optional. I doubt he would have been upset if I didn't lay down with him; I figured the only reason he asked was because he evidently wasn't in the right mind due to the way he was feeling. It was the only logical explanation.

I crawled into his bed, my entire body shaking. I could feel his body heat eminating towards me as I got under the blanket. I couldn't decide whether this was a good situation, or a terribly, terribly wrong one. At least the sound of the rain was somewhat relaxing...

I faced away from Sasuke. I didn't know what else to do in such tremendous awkwardness. I think he was facing the ceiling. After a few minutes I began to relax more, feeling tiredness set in. Sasuke's bed was a lot more comfortable than mine, of course. He rolled over and faced me; I could feel his warm breath tickling my back. My drowsiness was slowing down some of the anxiety I had been feeling from being so close to him.

But when one of his hands lightly grazed my back, I was awoken in a blink. At first I thought he had accidentally touched me, but when his hand fully began to carress the contour of my mid section there was no denying it, as seemingly impossible as that was. I started feeling really light-headed and anxious, wondering if perhaps I was trapped in some sort of lucid dream, though I knew that was silly.

Sasuke brought his body closer to mine and wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer to him into an embrace.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" He asked, breaking the silence.

"N-No." I stuttered and my body trembled even more.

"I'm sorry." He apologized, yet pulled my body even closer to his, wrapping himself around me tightly but in a comforting way. He said nothing after that, and soon my trembling bones felt at ease with where I was. As confused as I was, physically I had never been more comfortable.

I must have fallen asleep there.

* * *

Sasuke's POV

* * *

I woke up to a loud trashing sound. It took me a minute or two to snap back into reality, realizing my surroundings; Hinata was still in my arms. I recalled the events that took place before I passed out, and then it hit me. _The time. _

_And what is that noise?_

It didn't take me long to realize it was a loud knock at the door, and it had been going on for several minutes. But my mind felt so cloudy, and my body felt so tired that I still didn't move. I didn't want to be disturbed, but the longer I listened to that irritating banging the more into reality I snapped. First of all, Hinata was in my bed and I was holding her. _Why? _Second of all, I was the one who initiated it... _Why_. Third of all, there was somebody who was obviously angry banging at my door. I grumbled and rolled over, letting her small frame fall from my grasp, thinking _what the hell is wrong with me? _

Abruptly, the banging stopped. I opened my eyes and looked at the time. It was 4pm. Upon this realization, just as I was about to get up, my door went flying open. There stood, of course, a very pissed off Fugaku Uchiha. The look in on my fathers face was frightening. And this is when I really woke up from my daze.

"F-Father!" I exclaimed and I dove out of the bed and onto my feet. _Fuck, fuck, fuck... _I had no idea how I was going to explain this. I had slept all day, and there was a slave girl sleeping in my bed_. I_ didn't even know what was going on.

The hinges on the door were now mangled as my father had busted in, breaking the lock. He took a few angry steps closer to me but stopped himself when he noticed Hinata was sleeping in my bed. I couldn't understand how she could still be sleeping after all the noise.

"What... Is going on." My father demanded, staring intently into my eyes.

"I can explain." I lied.

"There's no need. I can see why you missed your shift today." He huffed heavily. "Get outside, now." I followed him outside and closed the broken door behind me. I wasn't the type to ever be fearful, but if there was a time for me to be it was then. "Sasuke, you have got to be kidding me. Please tell me that I did not just see that."

I averted his gaze. "I don't know," was all I could say.

"I don't even know what to say to you right now. My own son, sleeping with but a pathetic _slave girl? _Oh, and I suppose the next thing that you're going to tell me is that you're in love with her, right? Pathetic..."

"No! It is nothing like that. Honestly, I woke up today feeling ill, the girl offered to make me food... I-"

"Just be quiet. This level of disobedience is intolerable... Do you think that if I caught any other Uchiha acting intimate towards a slave, they would still be considered an Uchiha? I would tell him that if he wants to breed with slaves, then perhaps he should _be _a slave." He paused for a moment, closing his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest. "You, unfortunately, are my son."

"Father, I know it looks terrible but I assure you nothing intimate was happening with that girl. I wasn't in the right mind this morning, and I told her she could lay down-"

"She has a bed downstairs."

"I know, but..." I tried to defend myself but my argument was slightly invalid. I had no way to justify myself to my father, I couldn't even justify my actions in my own head.

"Regardless of whatever excuse you try to come up with, Sasuke, you were fraternizing with her in a way that is strictly forbidden. What am I supposed to do about this? I cannot kill you, but perhaps... Perhaps I could just rid of her."

I could feel the muscles in my jaw tense up as he said this and I clenched my fists. "No." I stated. "No, that isn't necessary. Nothing like this has ever happened or will ever happen again."

"From what I'm seeing, Sasuke, you have... Emotions, for this girl." His voice was growing to be more calm, though I could still feel his anger emanating. "It's getting in the way. I see a change in you, not for the better."

"Nonsense, I would never have feelings for her- Why would I? As you said, she is just a pathetic slave." I was getting angry now.

"And that's why she was sleeping in your bed, right?" I said nothing. My father let out a heavy, exasperated sigh. "Well I'm afraid that settles it. The girl must die."

"There is no need for bloodshed." I sputtered. "She's proven herself to be a good ally when it comes to keeping an eye out. There's been multiple times where her byakugan has aided me."

"Then I'll find another Hyuuga to replace her."

"It's just not necessary."

"Since when do you value the lives of others, let alone one from a different clan?"

"I don't value it, I just disagree with your methods given this particular situation."

My father's dark eyebrows furrowed. My jaw was clenched so tight, it was beginning to hurt my teeth. "I'm getting tired of your persistence " He stated. "I've made up my mind, Sasuke."

"I won't allow it."

He laughed. "Her life really means that much to you, doesn't it?"

"No. It doesn't mean anything to me. Her assistance, however, does."

He stood silent for roughly a minute before he responded. "Fine then. Have it your way. She lives... For now. If I catch anything odd occurring between you and her again, then I won't hesitate to kill her."

"Okay, I understand that." Every tensed muscle in my body relaxed. My father finally turned to leave.

"And by the way, Sasuke..." He said, looking at me over his shoulder. "If you are developing some sort of twisted feelings towards that girl... I'm warning you now, forget them."

I nodded and watched him as he left, my heart racing as I reviewed the conversation in my head. _There's just no way my father could be right... Feelings for her? That's bullshit. _I walked back in and slammed the busted door behind me. Hinata was awake now, she sat up in the bed and looked at me with this clueless, innocent look on her face. "What are you looking at?" I sneered, before abruptly twisting around and punching a wall. I heard her jump and gasp. "Leave." I demanded. "Go downstairs, don't come back up."

"S-Sasuke I-"

"Now." I gritted my teeth, and with no more hesitation I heard her feet scamper to the basement. I let out a sigh of relief, glad I was out of her presence.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay, was experiencing some writers block for this one. Wasn't too sure about this chapter, still not too sure about it but whatever haha I wanted to give you guys something. I hope you like it, and please review, it's very much appreciated.


	16. chapter fifteen: obscure thoughts

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

_**chapter fifteen;** obscure thoughts_

* * *

Several days had passed since my awkward confrontation with Sasuke. He had started treating me worse than before; he would force me to cook and clean, which were the only times I was actually allowed out of the basement, unless we were in the forest. I was confused about many things when it came to him.

Why did he hold me like that? In a twisted way I longed for that feeling again. The touch of another person, that made me feel less alone in this horrible place. But now, he refused even engage me in conversation; sometimes I would make an attempt, but he would threaten me, and tell me that he would hit me if I spoke to him again.

Of course, he never did. But he was definitely violent with me. If I was in his way, he would harshly push me, and if I did something that annoyed him, he would raise a hand to me. I felt like a new puppy being trained by it's abusive owner. And again, I regretted not leaving this.

I should have gone.

_I don't want to live like this any more._

* * *

As the weeks dragged on, I wondered more about our actual position in this stupid place. What was the point? What we were actually accomplishing?

At that point, I could say that Sasuke was almost as miserable as I. He didn't want to be there, especially not with me. Sometimes, when his father would drop by, I'd be able to hear them yelling at each other from the basement. I think it was safe to assume that Sasuke was requesting a different position, and his father refused to comply.

I wanted nothing more than out of there. I'd contemplated it a number of times, skimming through the precautions of running away. The pros were that there would be a chance (though slim) of me escaping, and going on to live a happy and safe life. The cons were that I could get caught by Sasuke and he would kill me.

_Would it be worth it?_

I didn't want to die, but I questioned how much longer I'd actually survive here. Malnourished, cold, uncomfortable, lonely, trapped... Those were five words that basically summed up my life. Every day grew more and more terrible.

* * *

_Sasuke's POV_

* * *

I sighed as I twidled with the food Hinata made me for lunch, my cheek resting lazily on one hand. I'd sent her back down into the basement so I didn't have to look at her face of pain and despair. I hated it. I hated everything here.

Every day I woke up and it was the same routine. I had to pretend to be pissed off at Hinata and make her do shit that I wouldn't mind doing myself. I was bored to death 24/7, so it's not like I would have minded making my own fucking rice. But I felt like it was necessary to treat her like garbage in order to not only push her away from me, but to push myself away from her.

Unfortunately, it wasn't exactly working as well on me as it was on her.

The more I made her feel pain, the worse I felt about myself. Was I supposed to _enjoy _picking on someone so defenseless? I never really liked it with any of the other Hyuuga, but this felt a bit different. She was weak and fragile like a child. She wasn't like the others I'd dealt with, whom were mostly men or older women. Plus, I was never the only one in charge of one person before. It was weird and almost sickening, but I kept the act going.

And besides, the feelings I had thought before my father caught me with her frightened me. The feelings that had lead up to the reason why she was ever in my bed to begin with.

Those feelings hadn't left.

* * *

_Hinata's POV_

* * *

I could faintly hear the chirping of crickets as I not-so-calmly lay in my bed. It felt like my head was spinning; my heart jumped in my chest and beat uncontrollably fast. I was going to do it.

I was going to make a run for it.

I was going absolutely insane, and I guess that was my breaking point. I had been sitting in that room for far too long. It seemed my mind was battling with itself; one part of me told me to just stay and accept fate, another, stronger part urged me to fight for my freedom. I was terrified of getting caught but I'd already made up my mind.

I wasn't thinking very clearly that night.

It must have been 2 am when I did it.

I crept up the stairs, making no more than a peep. I'd secretly been practising silently making it up the stairs for a little while now. The door was the main obstacle; but apparently, that wouldn't be an issue. Sasuke left a window open, only a small crack, but it would be more silent for me to slide that open than to use the front door.

The whole situation was incredibly heat considering the room was totally open and Sasuke's bed was right there. He was in it, sleeping soundly. I took a moment to look at his face, and thought that in an odd way, I would miss him if I made it to safety. But without another moment of hesitation, I leapt out the window and very quietly walked around to the back of the house. I kept going until I felt like I was home free. I got to the forest and I ran faster than I ever had. It was painful, but I didn't care. A smile of sweet relief crossed my face as I ran feeling that maybe I was going to make it after all. Maybe, Sasuke would wake up in the morning and simply find me not there. I thought for a moment what his father might do to him and felt slightly guilty, but quickly erased that from my mind. I was free; I felt like one of the many cold raindrops that fell on my head.

_I'm going to join the others. _

Haha, maybe in my dreams.

My body was roughly grabbed and I felt jolts of burning pain strike me everywhere as I was dragged across the mud, the result of a collision with another body. Before I could even open my eyes, I was pulled to a stop before being thrown into a tree. I yelped in total pain, my spine taking all of the damage.

His red eyes were full of rage as he pinned his body against me, grasping his rough hand to my neck and squeezing. I managed to find contact with them through squinted eyes. He didn't say anything for a few moments, only breathed heavily against me as he stared into my eyes, never letting go of my throat. I squirmed, my heart dropping as every moment of realization hit me.

Of course I didn't make it.

How foolish of me to even consider the idea of getting away from him.

"Where were you planning on going?" He practically whispered through his angered tone. He squeezed tighter when I didn't answer and I screeched weakly. "Answer me." He demanded.

"I... I don't know..." I cried, hardly able to breathe. Was he really going to kill me? Was this dreadful life going to be all I ever knew? I couldn't bear it. I tried to squiggle out of his grasp but he shoved his body even closer to mine, pressing my back into the sharp bark of the tree. Tears welled up in my eyes but they never left his. He was quiet as he studied my face.

And I think I'll always be confused about what happened next.

* * *

**A/N: **Hey guys, thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews! I very much appreciate it and I'm glad you're all still enjoying this story. Please leave a review if you're here, it's always very motivating. If it wasn't for you guys I wouldn't be this far :)

I guess things are starting to heat up, I hope you're still liking the direction of the story. It's taken some turns.

**PLEASE REVIEW! **


	17. chapter sixteen: instincts

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

_**chapter sixteen;** instincts _

* * *

_Hinata's POV_

* * *

His grip on my neck loosened only slightly as he brought up his thumb to graze my chin, and then my lower lip. His eyes wandered across my skin, and I began to grow confused, wondering what he was thinking. I braced myself to be hurt, maybe even killed- but I wasn't ready for his next move.

He crashed his lips into mine. I didn't even have a moment to think between the abrupt transition in the way he was touching me, and the realization that this was actually happening. Not to mention the fluttering feeling of ecstasy that filled my chest as his tongue danced with mine. I was hesitant at first, unsure how I was supposed to comply, but I suppose nature took its course from that point on.

Where this was all coming from, I didn't know. But all of my previous thoughts were somehow erased. I forgot about getting away, all my fears, and everything else it seemed. It left only us. He slid his hand from my throat to the back of my head and pulled me more into the kiss. The pressure he put with his body onto mine didn't change, however, but the direction of it was different. He eased himself on me, rather than shoving me and hurting me. I never imagined myself in this position with anyone, let alone Sasuke, at such a time like this. It was pouring rain and I had just tried to run away.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked breathlessly between a kiss. He stopped for a moment and looked me in the eye, a glint of something I'd never seen before lingering there. He didn't answer me. Instead, he slammed his mouth against mine and grinned his hips into me. I yelped at the sudden contact, which judging by his soft grunt, pleased him.

After another moment of what felt like forever, he pulled away from me. "Let's go." He spoke softly, before grabbing me bridal style and taking off. He could run so much faster than me, it was amazing being in his arms as we got to the hut in a matter of minutes. He rushed inside and slammed the door behind us, throwing me onto his bed. And apparently, I wasn't so keen on leaving after all.

* * *

_Sasuke's POV_

* * *

I glared at her with lustful eyes; she looked so intriguing, sprawled out on my bed with a frightened and confused expression. I wasn't going to hurt her. I simply couldn't hold back any longer.

I crawled on top of her, keeping eye contact steady as I parted her legs and positioned myself between them. Whatever the hell I was doing, I knew it was wrong, but I was tortured by this. The way she looked at me with those big innocent eyes, like she was scared of what I was going to do to her, brought a very strange pleasure to me. She was trembling beneath me; I grazed my hand from her stomach, between her breasts until I had a gentle hold on her throat.

It was too late to go back now. As soon as I'd collided with her against that tree, my body had taken over. My selfish desires clouded my thoughts of what my father would do if he were to know about this, and at that moment, I truly didn't care about anything else other than making her mine.

* * *

_Hinata's POV_

* * *

It felt as though Sasuke was releasing something he had been holding inside for quite some time, judging by the way he grabbed me, bit me and pulled my hair. Such foreign feelings welled up inside my body; he started to tear my clothes off, but I didn't wallow away from it. I let him, in fact, I think I invited him to do so. A devilish smirk came to his lips as he saw how willing I was to let him do this to me. And it was true; I was more than just willing.

Having sex with Sasuke for the first time wasn't exactly easy to describe. It was very painful, to say the least, but that was only during the first few minutes of it. After that, things became a blur; one muffled blur of ecstasy and intimacy of which I had never even imagined. I didn't know much about sex, I'd never really thought about it- I knew what it was, of course, for I was educated to an extent, but I kinda just figured it wasn't anything I'd have to think about any time soon.

Shockingly enough, he was gentle with me, almost as though he cared whether I was enjoying it or not. Maybe he did, I wasn't sure what his motives were. Every time he pushed into me I gasped and felt chills run all through my body. I was shy at first, but after a short while, I grew more confident. I beckoned him with kisses and left scratches on his back, and arched my spine each time I felt his heavy breath on my neck.

After it was all finished, he rolled over and we both lay there, panting heavily. My body felt numb, and I had the shakes. He leaned over on one elbow and met my eyes, and for the first time, I saw him genuinely smile. He brushed the hair off my face and laughed a little. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay." I giggled, and he planted a small kiss on my lips. That fluttering feeling in my chest never left me. He rolled over and grabbed me, pulling me close to him so I was resting on his chest. We lay in silence until we both drifted off into sleep.

* * *

My eyes fluttered open to a beam of sunlight hitting my face. I stretched and yawned, rolling over, before nearly jumping out of my skin upon realizing where I was.

And what had happened.

I saw that Sasuke was clothed and sitting on the edge of the bed, looking as though he were in deep contemplation. When he noticed that I was awake, his eyes fell on me. I didn't know what to do or say, so I only stared. I was worried; Would he be angry? But no, his dark irises did not look as though they were upset. Only thinking.

He stood up and turned to me. "Get dressed." I blushed and averted his gaze, waiting for him to turn around, but he didn't. "What, you really want me to look away?" He scoffed in a slightly joking manor. "Fine, have it your way." He turned his back to me and I scurried to find my clothing and put it on. Once I was dressed, I cleared my throat as a signal.

"We woke up a bit late." He said. "But we can still get to the forest in time before someone comes through to make sure we're there." I nodded, and we went outside.

* * *

Sasuke was very quiet with me, and of course I didn't dare open my mouth. We sat up in a tree like we normally would, occasionally exchanging glances in which I would blush and look away. Sometimes his eyes lingered on me. I felt very uncomfortable, unsure of what he was thinking.

At one point, Sasuke turned to me and met my eyes. I stared for a minute, before he began to slide closer to me. I watched at him curiously until we were face to face. Without saying a word, he leaned in and kissed me softly, and there was that fluttering feeling again. When he pulled away from me, his eyes almost looked sad.

I wanted to talk to him, I really did. I sat there questioning what he was thinking, while trying not to get ahead of myself. I recalled my teacher once telling me that when two people love each other, they want to have sex with each other. Did that mean that Sasuke loved me? _Now you're getting ahead of yourself here, Hinata. There is no way he loves you._

_...But then again, I also thought there was no way he'd ever want to kiss me... Or anything else. _

_But still._

It was sort of an accident, but I let out a long, exasperated sigh which caught his attention.

"What is it?" He inquired, speaking for the first time in hours.

"Oh! Um, nothing."

He stared off into the distance with a blank expression on his face. He still sat close to me. "Are you upset?"

"No..."

"You wanted to leave last night, and I caught you and brought you right back. Are you not upset?" He still stared off into the distance. I could feel my face flushing, unsure of how to answer this. No, I wasn't upset. Why? Because he made me feel things I didn't know I was able to feel. Of course I wanted to get away... But his actions, unfortunately, changed my mind. I felt stupid and crazy for thinking this.

"I don't know." I peeped. He looked at me.

"You know, I don't really want to be here either." I said nothing, and he looked away again. His voice was very calm and held little emotion. "This place doesn't make me feel good. I've tried relentlessly to talk my father out of making you and I stay here and continue this dull, repetitive lifestyle. And yet as terrible as it has been here, somehow, out of all of it, you were able to make me smile. Why is that?" I was at a loss for words, and he chuckled while shaking his head, as if he knew what he was saying was insanity. "You know the first thought that crossed my mind when I heard you scamper off last night wasn't what my father was going to do to me. It was the fact that if I let you get away, I wouldn't be accompanied by you any more. There would be a chance that I'd never even see you again. I didn't like that idea, so I panicked... Selfish, aren't I?" For whatever reason, I felt tears coming to my eyes. I wanted to break down and cry, but I held it back and listened to what he was saying. "You probably hate me-"

"I don't hate you." I quickly cut him off, and his eyes darted to me with shock. He was likely expecting me to say more, but I had no other words I had the courage to speak.

"Well, you should." He retorted. "I've been nothing but horrible to you. You're a very silly girl, you know that?"

"I know I am. But... You haven't been all bad to me... You've treated me like garbage, but you've also treated me like a person, which is more than I can say about anyone else who's been in charge of me since this whole thing happened."

Sasuke laughed under his breath. "Silly, silly girl." He crossed his arms over his chest and shut his eyes in deep thought. "Well, let's get going then. I think we've been out here long enough. And besides, I wanted to go find that hot spring again tonight."

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you all very much for the reviews, I was EXTREMELY happy at the number I got the last chapter!

Soooooo yeah. I could have written this in full detail, but since the rating of this isn't under M, I didn't want to push it too far, especially if some people aren't totally comfortable with that. But if you'd like me to perhaps use more detail in a future chapter, drop a review and let me know what you think.

This might seem rushed to you, but to be completely honest, I like the idea of Sasuke being spontaneous and random. And besides, I think they've been suffering for long enough ;D Hope you liked it!

Also check out the poll on my profile if you feel like it! I'm just wondering about everyone's ages :) I'm 18, for those who didn't know.

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	18. chapter seventeen: breaking point

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

_**chapter seventeen;** breaking point__  
_

* * *

_Sasuke's POV_

* * *

I observed silently as Hinata trotted on the other side of the hot spring, the cloudy steam making her seem fuzzy to me. I had given her one of my white robes for her to wear; it hung loosely off her curves. I was already submerged in the hot water, feeling it ease each one of my tensed muscles, all I needed was for her to join me. She knelt down and put her toe in the water, before as quickly as possible dropping the robe and slipping into the spring. I glared at her and she sent me a curious look.

"You're too shy." I pouted. "You never let me look at you when you're changing." I knew this comment would make her uncomfortable, which is why I said it; she was amusing when she was embarrassed.

"W-What?" She peeped, her face flushed bright red. I grinned a little.

"I'm just messing with you."

We sat in silence for a few moments, in which all I wanted to do was break the distance barrier between us. She was as far away from me as possible, so I changed that; I slid over towards her, and as always she shied away. It was cute how she did that. When I came up right next to her, she met my eyes, always having that innocent, confused look on her face. I laughed at her, and she pouted.

"Why are you laughing at me?"

"I don't know." I chuckled, and brought a hand up to her cheek. Fuck, she really was beautiful. If I'd been able to, I would have told her that, but of course I said nothing. Instead, I kissed her. She jolted a little, probably not expecting me to make such an action, but it seemed that everything I did surprised her. It surprised me, too. Our kisses deepened, until I began to feel the contours of her body; her hips, her torso, her breasts; they were all so fascinating to me.

A re-enactment of last night in the hot spring? Sure, why not. Apparently once I got going, there was no stopping me. I grinned devilishly against her neck as she clawed at my back and let out soft moans of pleasure. There was absolutely nothing more satisfying.

* * *

Later that evening, I sat at the table and sketched on a sheet of paper the girl who lay in my bed, still wearing my robes. The only thing to light the room was the flicker of a small candle. I don't think she realized that I was drawing her, until I looked at her and smirked.

"You should undo the robe." I said, and shock laced her face.

"W-What? Why?"

"Because... Just do it." I demanded. She had a look of hesitation, before shyly opening up the robe to show her breasts. I smiled in accomplishment.

"Are you drawing me?" She inquired, her voice shaky.

"Yeah."

"Oh."

"I like your body." I stated, keeping my eyes glued on the moving charcoal. "I find it to be quite interesting."

"Interesting?"

"Yes... It's not like I have much knowledge of the female anatomy... It's intriguing to me."

She pouted. "But it's embarrassing."

"You shouldn't be embarrassed." She smiled a little and blushed, and this odd, warm feeling welled up inside me.

* * *

_Hinata's POV_

* * *

Several days passed, and Sasuke and I kept up much the same routine. I guess you could say we 'made love' a lot; I'd call it sex, but the way it was, I honestly felt like it deserved a better name. I didn't get ahead of myself and go ahead thinking that Sasuke was in _love_ with me, but I knew for certain that he definitely found my body attractive.

It was strange, though, the way he looked at me sometimes... At certain moments, I did ponder the idea of him actually having feelings for me that were more than just lust.

Maybe feelings similar to the ones I had for him.

But that was only wishful thinking. He never said anything that implied that he wanted more than just my body. The way he held me when we fell asleep together at night, however, did depict something a little different. I was never one to flatter myself, though. I assumed that if he didn't say anything, there was probably no chance that he actually had feelings, or whatever, for me. Though, he did like to draw me a lot.

As crazy as it may sound, those days with him (it must have been a week and a half, or so) were the happiest days I had in years. Was it the sex? No, it wasn't just that. It was the feeling that I had a companion, though normally cold and distant outside of the bed- that made me feel complete again.

And in a way, I felt kind of free. Like that if I had the option to leave now I wouldn't even want to. I was naïve, with my mind being clouded by lust and affection for him. The best part of my day was always when I was able to make him smile. I had almost forgotten my situation and the fact that I was a slave. That is, until I was reminded.

* * *

_Sasuke's POV_

* * *

I never regretted my decision to engage Hinata; not once. Even as the days rolled on, I only felt more comfortable in my skin, like for once, I was doing something good with my life. I was making her smile, and for whatever reason, that made me smile too. Something I wasn't too familiar with during the course of my life up until this point.

Fucked up, I know. I didn't understand the feelings myself, but I didn't really feel like I had to. They were there, and I was finally able to accept that. There was always that nagging part of my conscience tugging at the back of my mind, reminding me of my father and my clan, but for a short while there I was able to block that out to feel a small ounce of happiness.

But like most things in life, there was always a catch. I could try to forget about my fathers wishes, I could even shove them to the very depths of my mind- but that would never change the reality that they were _still there, _and that I was still under his command.

One particular night, it was storming badly. There was plenty of thunder and lightning, which seemed to freak Hinata out a little, but I kind of liked it. I found storms to be calming.

I sat at the table watching Hinata sprawl on my bed, much as I always did, when suddenly there was a knock at the door that nearly made me jump right out of my skin. I threw everything I was drawing under the bed, and Hinata jolted up as well. "Get down to the basement." I harshly whispered, and she scurried downstairs. I took a few seconds to calm myself before I went and answered the door, only to be face to face with my brother Itachi. It had been a while since I'd seen him, so it was a shock to see him at my door.

"Hello, brother." Itachi said, pushing past me and entering. Typical Itachi.

"Hey... What's going on? I didn't expect you to be here." I said.

"Father just told me to check up on you." Itachi said, suspiciously looking around the place as if he were trying to find something.

"At a time like this? It's 10 o'clock and it's pouring rain."

"So? He asked me to do so."

"Why though?"

"Does it matter?"

"I guess not..." I began to grow nervous. _Why would father randomly send Itachi to check up on me? Ist possible for he is suspicious of something? No, that wouldn't make sense. He didn't seem suspicious the last time he came to see me, and that was weeks ago. _I recalled that the only time I'd seen my father before that was when I was caught with Hinata in my bed. _Now I'm just being paranoid..._

"So, where's the girl?"

"She's downstairs."

"Get her up here, I'm taking her."

If there was ever a moment in my life for time to supposedly stop for a second, well it was that point. "What? Why?"

"Don't know, father's orders."

"But... She's... I'm in charge of her." I desperately searched for the proper words to make me sound as least guilty as possible.

"Not necessarily." Itachi stated. "You were supervising her, technically, father is the one who is in charge of her."

"What does he want with her?"

"Like fuck if I know." I could tell my brother was growing irritated. _Shit, I'm asking too many questions. _

"Umm, okay then, I'll get her..." I quickly ran down stairs and grabbed Hinata by the shoulders gently. The first thing I thought to do was kiss her, so I did, and she looked at me with a shocked and confused expression. "I don't know why, but my brother is here to take you." I said, creating a look of utter heartbreak upon her face.

"W-What? No!" She exclaimed, and I placed a hand over her mouth.

"Just go. You have to. There's no other option." I grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her up the stairs, though she was resisting the whole time. In all honesty, it hurt me to have to do that, but I was able to keep a straight face. I threw her at Itachi- she stumbled and nearly fell, but he caught her, gripping her by her wrist and holding her up like a rag doll. It angered me, but I did nothing.

"What am I supposed to do now?" I inquired and watched as Itachi dropped Hinata onto the ground. She yelped in distraught, and those eyes of hers looked up to me with desperation. I avoided them, refusing to make contact.

"I'm not sure, all I was told was that I was to come here and take the girl. Father did say he would come see you tomorrow, though. You're still supposed to continue the day as you normally would, just without her."

_That completely changes my day. _I thought, clenching my teeth. _Just what exactly is my father thinking? _

"Well, I'm off then." Itachi slung Hinata over his shoulder as if she were a sack of potatoes, and took off without another word. I stood there, speechless.

What else could I do? I was completely and utterly powerless.

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks for the reviews guys, if you have the chance, please leave your input :) every one of your opinions really means a lot to me!

I wouldn't be able to continue this story if it wasn't for my readers constant support. I hope you guys are still enjoying the story!

**Please review!**


	19. chapter eighteen: unexpected news

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

_**chapter eighteen;** unexpected news _

* * *

_Hinata's POV_

* * *

Fear engulfed me, as did the darkness as my lifeless body was thrown into a cell. It was dark, cold, damp- which I was used to- but this was a little different.

I instantly scurried to the corner of the stone room and curled up, hugging my knees tightly to my chest. Thoughts ran through my mind a mile a minute, and only thinking the most negative things. _What if they plan on putting me somewhere else? What if they plan on killing me?_

_What if I never see Sasuke again?_

It was then that I completely shut down and burst into tears. I would never forget the feeling in my chest, like my heart was literally hurting... It was like there were a million strings attached to it and they were all being pulled violently. And the more I cried, the more it hurt, and the more negative my thoughts grew.

It must have been hours that I was left in there, freezing, lonely and crying. I never thought that I'd think it, but the only place I wanted to go was back to that hut. Back in his bed, falling asleep in his arms as if nothing were wrong. Though short-lived, I'd gotten used to our routine, and for a while there I was convinced that things were going to stay that way.

How childish.

Being in that cell left me alone with my thoughts for quite a while, and it was definitely a reality check. Something beautiful was able to come out of my horrible experiences there, but that didn't mean things weren't still horrible. It was that easy for all of my happiness to be taken away, literally by a flick of Fugaku Uchiha's finger.

But that only left one question... Why?

Finally, after hours of laying there, I was able to find out.

* * *

_S__asuke's POV_

* * *

I wasn't able to sleep that night at all, not with so many unanswered questions running through my mind.

I'd been laying in bed for hours, simply staring at the ceiling and contemplating every scenario over in my head. I'd come to the conclusion that my father likely didn't know what had happened between Hinata and I, and that there was some sort of other unknown reason why he took her away.

Even still, it angered me.

I knew that I shouldn't have cared, but I did... And that alone was enough to eat me up inside. I hated it- I was never one to _care _about particularly anything, under any normal circumstance, I wouldn't have given any of this a second thought.

But unfortunately, this was different. I had... Relations, with her, of which I'd never experienced with another. Relations that blew my mind in every way, and relations that I wasn't so keen on giving up any time soon. Every time I pondered the idea of someone potentially hurting her, my teeth clenched.

I still wasn't sure which bothered me more, that she might be hurt, or that I even gave a shit. Likely the latter, to be honest.

* * *

_Hinata's POV_

* * *

Finally, after what felt like eternity, I was taken to a different cell. This one had other slaves in it. I hated the way their eyes watched me as I was shoved in to join them; it'd been a while since I'd really seen a lot of people. They all looked to be in terrible condition, even worse than I.

Very awkwardly, I found a place to sit down. Their eyes never left me.

"Hey." One girl said to me, scampering next to me in a slightly creepy manner. I think I liked being alone in the cell more than this.

"Hello..." I said very quietly, avoiding eye contact.

"Can you believe it?" The girl spoke in a very crazed voice. I felt mean for thinking it, but she freaked me out.

"Believe what?"

"The war!" She exclaimed. "It's finally happening!"

"What, right now?" I inquired, perplexed. This girl seemed to have keen mental health issues, and seeing something like that really did break my heart. The poor thing had probably been mistreated worse than I, from an even younger age. She couldn't have been any more than 13.

"Tomorrow, in the evening, they are said to come." She smiled. "They're finally coming to save us."

"So... Is this why I'm here, then?"

"Yes. This is why we've all been taken away from our masters. The masters want us to stay hidden so we can't be saved, but I know for sure that we will be!"

I wanted to ask 'what makes you so certain?', but I knew that kind of negativity would only lower her spirits. I simply nodded and forced a small smile. After that, she ran off to pester another person. I sat alone then, avoiding eye contact with everyone. A few people chatted, but for the most part, the place was pretty grim. I guess for once, I fit right in.

More hours passed until I eventually was able to fall asleep. It was terribly uncomfortable, but I managed a few hours. I imagined that I wasn't where I was, and that I was back where I felt I should be- With Sasuke. I wondered what he was doing, and if he cared or not that I was taken. I think he might have, but I didn't dwell too far on it. I was more concerned about what was going to happen with him tomorrow.

And the war... Was it really happening so abruptly? Why wasn't there more of a warning? I had so many questions that I desperately wished I could answer.

* * *

_Sasuke's POV_

* * *

"It's happening... Tonight." I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

I slammed my fist on the table and stood up angrily. "What the hell do you mean _tonight!?_"

As always, my father was very still and calm. "I mean it exactly as I say it. Calm down, Sasuke. I'm not impressed either, we were not given any other warning. I would have told you otherwise."

I huffed and sat back down, though my blood was still boiling. "So what are you even telling me? That I'm fighting for my life tonight?"

There was a moment of hesitation, in which I saw something I'd never seen before cross his brow... _Doubt__. _"Yes." He answered. "Basically, yes."

"Hmph, whatever. It's not like we're going to lose."

"I'm certain we will not lose our lives, but the battle, I'm not so sure." This was not like my father. "We are outnumbered, at this point Konoha alone would stand no chance, however, with the help of Suna, this poses a different threat to us. It is not a matter of strength, but a matter of numbers. We are not a massive clan, we overthrew the leaf by years of careful planning, deceit, and one final ambush. This is a war, this is different."

"How can you be saying this? This is not how I've been raised to think. We are the Uchiha... We are fearless, and unbelievably powerful. That is all I know."

"And you are not wrong. I need you to calm down for a moment, Sasuke." I took a deep breath and let him continue. "You're missing the point here. We are not going to lose our clan, or our lives, it is the land and the slaves that are the focus of this. That is what we are fighting for. I'm obviously unaware of how many numbers there actually are, but worst case scenario, there will be enough to run us into the forest long enough to free the slaves and take over the land. That is the worst case scenario, however. Don't get me wrong, I am keen on winning this battle. I just want you to have an open mind to the possibility that something might not go our way; Be prepared for anything."

"Everything has always gone our way." I spat, before rolling my eyes. "What an unrealistic way of thinking you taught me." To this, he said nothing. There were a few moments of silence before I opened my mouth again. "And... What of the slaves? I mean, what did you do-"

"With the girl?" He cut me off, and I hoped he couldn't read my emotion through my expression. "She's been put in a cellar with the rest of the slaves. They are all locked away now."

"I see."

"I need you to eat plenty and return to town as soon as possible... We must begin preparations right away."

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you so much for all the reviews! :D They make me really happy, which is kinda why I've been updating so much.

This is what I like to call a "filler" chapter xD **  
**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	20. chapter nineteen: the madness begins

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

_**chapter nineteen;** the madness begins__  
_

* * *

_Sasuke's POV_

* * *

It was the late afternoon when I showed up to the military base in town. No body seemed to be too worried about what was about to happen... But I guess that was my clan, for you.

When I met up with my father, he told me to go find Itachi in the west wing. I nodded and agreed, but there was somewhere else I needed to go first. I thought that maybe if I found her, and was able to see that she was alright with my own eyes, that it would put me at ease. So I made sure that my father nor my brother were around, and asked someone random where I could find the slaves. He told me that they were located in the underground cells on the outside of the base. I took no extra time to dwindle, and tried to make it look casual when I entered the cellar.

It was an advantage being my father's son, in this case. The guards would do anything I asked, so when I told them to let me go down and for no one to follow, they didn't question it. The underground cells consisted of a long winding hall way with huge cells on every side. I realized then how many slaves we actually "owned", and that finding one person wasn't exactly going to be easy. I didn't let that discourage me, I calmly made my way through the hall. I hated the way the slaves looked, with their eyes bugging out of their heads as they gaped at me.

I walked past dozens before I finally laid eyes on her.

She huddled against a wall with her knees held closely to her chest. She looked unwell and pale, with loose limbs like an incomplete marionette. I tapped on one of the bars, and when she looked up at me, her dull orbs seemingly filled with light. She instantly got up and ran to me.

"Sasuke?" She asked, taking a hold of the bars which contained her.

"Hey." Was all I could really say. I hadn't actually thought about what I would say to her when I saw her, all I was concerned about was making sure she was fine.

"W-What are you doing here?" She trembled, and I noticed the bruises covering her forearms, likely from being thrown around by my brother.

"It doesn't matter..." I looked around at all the slaves, then lowered my voice to a harsh whisper. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but-"

"I'm going to do something about this..." I cut her off. I was finding it difficult to meet her eyes. "I'll get you out of here... Okay?"

"Okay... But what is going on?"

"I guess they are planning on attacking us tonight. We weren't given much warning, only a letter last night."

"I see."

I awkwardly scratched my head and looked away, feeling nervous to tell her the real reason I went there. I decided that it was better off to be unsaid. "I should go, then, Hinata..."

"Yeah... You should."

I can hardly describe how badly I actually wanted to kiss her, but I knew that wouldn't be a smart move. Those slaves would already be wondering enough, and I didn't need them talking. So I touched her hand a little, and forced a tiny grin. "Everything will be alright."

"I know." She smiled. "Good luck... Please um... Stay safe."

"I will." And with that, I sped away, hoping that things really were going to be alright.

* * *

The clock struck 6'oclock when the madness began, just as the sun was setting.

At that point, the adrenaline pumped through my veins viciously. All I could think about was killing.

The Uchiha clan was positioned on the walls of the base, a large field stretching out before us until the forest hit. Apparently, they stated in the letter that they would be coming from this way. I doubted it, however, because I knew that I wouldn't play so fairly had what happened to them, happened to me. Just in case, other shinobi were placed all around the village.

Surely enough, though, they did as they stated. I began to see a few people emerging from the forest, running at us full force, followed by large crowds. At first, we didn't move, each one of us taking in the numbers we were actually against.

My father was right, we were outnumbered. But I didn't agree with him, I told myself that we would win, and I still stuck by that despite his doubts. When I saw Itachi move, that was when I took my strike. I dove into the battle, not far behind my comrades. It wasn't long before blood was spilled.

My first kill was someone I had never seen before, someone from Suna. Same with my second, third, fourth, fifth... Until I started to notice a pattern.

Where was the Leaf?

All of these shinobi were from Suna. I met eyes with Itachi from not too far off, and it appeared as though he was thinking the same thing.

They were going for the slaves first.

My brother and I took flight and ran as fast as we could to the underground cells. We arrived in a matter of minutes; our hunch was correct. The first thing I saw from on top of the walls were a number of dead Uchiha laying around, and there was Naruto, standing there, unnoticed to my presence for he was too busy leading slaves out of their confinement. I froze for a moment as my sharingan automatically activated. It looked as though the entire Leaf army was all in this one place, freeing the slaves. _What cowards. _I thought. _Sending Suna in to risk their lives, while they try to sneakily free the slaves..._

"Itachi... What do we go?" I asked my brother, who stood frozen next to me as well.

"I'm thinking... You should go find father and tell him to get some people over here stat, okay? This is not good."

"Of course it's not fucking good! How can you be so calm!?"

"Just go tell father quickly, okay? I'm trying to think about how to handle this."

"No, you go."

"Fine, just don't fuck up." Itachi sneered before taking off. I took no more time before I jumped right in front of Naruto, startling everyone. The slaves screamed and started to run in random directions; I slammed the door they escaped from so no more could get away. The ones who got out wouldn't get far, anyway. Even still, the situation I was in was not good. I now faced a massive group of people who were all thirsty for my blood. _Fuck, this is bad. I need back up. Hopefully I can distract them for long enough._

"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed, giving me that mean look of his. With no moments notice, three people lunged at me, in which I easily jumped out of the way, drew my sword, and slashed them. I killed one, but only injured two.

Four others ran at me and attacked, I decided that using the same method would be effective, but I didn't expect to get hit by a fifth person from behind. I was slashed right in the shoulder; I wasn't sure by what or by who, but it hurt like hell. I fell to the ground in shock, but was able to roll out of the way fast enough before anyone could land a hit on me. I ran a good distance away from them, trying to ignore the immense pain that stung my entire back. Now, I was really angry, but I'd gotten far enough away from them to read their chakra clearly, and to anticipate their next move. I wasn't taught to fight without strategy.

"Open the door!" Naruto screamed, and Sakura was the first to comply. That foolish girl heeded his orders, and the slaves continued to pour out into their supposed freedom.

In all honesty, at that point, things were not looking so good for me. It was hard to anticipate the moves of so many people; before I knew it, what must have been ten of them ran for me. I dodged their kunai for the most part, but they still landed a few hits on me. With each cut I grew more frustrated; I was able to kill many of my attackers, but every time one would die, another would come running at me.

_Where the hell are you, Itachi!? _I thought as I stabbed my sword through someone's gut. And that's when I heard Naruto's voice. "Stop!" He yelled, withdrawing the shinobi away from me. Uncontrollably, I fell to the ground, panting heavily. Naruto walked up to me and met my eyes. "Are you done yet, Sasuke?"

"N-Never! I-I can kill every last one of you!" I spat through exhausted gasps.

"How could you do this!? Think about what you and your clan have achieved... Don't you remember what it was like before this happened? We were _friends. _So many people in our class looked up to you... And you helped kill them! How can you be okay with that?"

I used my sword to help bring myself to my feet. At that point, I was hurt pretty bad, and incredibly pissed off.

"You're all pathetic." I spat blood. "Look how many of your men I alone just killed? Do you honestly think that you have a chance of winning this? Haven't you lost enough people? You come here in vain, but I think that even you know yourself that you have no chance of winning this. You, and whoever else helped organize this 'war', are all fools who don't value the lives of those who managed to escape, all those years ago."

Naruto said nothing, though his face had twisted from anger, into a look of sadness. He knew I was right, but I also knew that he was just as stubborn as I.

"You're wrong." He said. "We can win this, as long as we try. And we couldn't just sit around and wait forever knowing that you bastards were keeping our friends and family captive as nothing but slaves... For their freedom, we are all willing to risk our lives."

All of them cheered. I simply rolled my eyes before letting out a mocking laughter. Naruto sent me a confused look. "Ha!" I yelled, grinning even deeper as I saw more and more of my clan emerge from behind us all. It didn't take them long to notice. The Uchiha dove right into the midst of the crowd and the battle began once more. Of course, not only Naruto's side were loosing people; Our numbers were going down as well. Even still,I had confidence in my clan. There was a reason why we were known as the most powerful.

I took this as an opportunity to get away for a bit. I was more hurt then I let off to be; I felt incredibly light headed. I'd lost quite a bit of blood keeping myself alive down there. I climbed up the tallest tree, and from the top branches, I scouted for Itachi or my Father. What I noticed first was a little bit different.

Of course, I could spot that navy hair from a mile away.

* * *

**A/N: **Hey guys, thank you so much for all the reviews! I very much appreciate them :) sorry it took a bit longer with this chapter, but the other one should be up in just a few days. I have it written, just still going through the process of thinking/editing :P

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	21. chapter twenty: nonsense

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

_**chapter twenty;** nonsense __  
_

* * *

_Hinata's POV_

* * *

It was like what had happened years ago all over again... Only worse.

Not only were dead people everywhere, I was seeing them get killed. All I thought to do was run; my brain was completely scrambled, and I was terrified. I didn't want to get killed, not like that. And I definitely did not want to watch anyone get killed no matter what side they were on.

I heard a curdling noise behind me and a few screams, before I was shoved into the dirt by a number of people who had fallen. I looked back to see an Uchiha, who had just killed a slave. A few people fell back in the process.

_Fuck, what am I doing here? I shouldn't have left the cells, I should have just stayed and waited for Sasuke. Now it's too late... I have to run._

I attempted to scamper to my feet but slid in the mud and fell again. All of a sudden, I felt my body lift as someone swiftly pulled me out of the crowd.

It was Sasuke.

Despite everything, I was still able to smile, knowing that he came for me. I held onto him tightly as he took me toward the forest. I felt skin; it was very cold. I then noticed the blood stained rips in his white clothing, as well as the cuts on his exposed chest. We stopped at the side of the river, where he lay me down without saying a word. He proceeded to sit on a rock and tear off his shirt; there was a huge gash connecting from his upper back over his shoulder, and it looked bad. Blood practically poured off of him.

I ran up to him and wanted to hug him, but due to his injuries, I simply grabbed his face and pulled it to mine, kissing him softly. For the first time, I saw something strange in his eyes. They looked dead, and he was incredibly pale. I was no doctor, but even a child could see that he had lost way too much blood. I wondered who he was up against that would cause him so much trouble.

"You need water." I stated, grabbing him by the hand and gently leading him closer to the river. He took some in his hands and drank it, before letting out a long sigh of exasperation.

"I don't feel good." He admitted, which I doubt was easy for him. By that point, I think I knew him well enough to say that he wasn't one to talk about how he felt. Ever. Which gave me another reason to freak out.

I tried to stay calm, thinking of ways I could stop some of the bleeding. I went and grabbed his torn shit and pressed it to his worst gash, the one on his back. It instantly soaked the shirt with blood. We didn't speak as I attempted at treating it. I didn't really know what to do other than clean the cut with water, and proceed to hold the shirt against it. He winced every time I touched it, though made no objections. It was relieving that he would at least let me help him.

After about fifteen minutes the cut started to bleed less. "I wish I had bandages." I said quietly.

"It's okay.. I'm fine."

"You still feel so cold, and your skin is so pale." I wanted to cry seeing him like that.

I sat down in front of him and focused more on his other cuts. After what must have been thirty minutes, I had cut down a lot of his bleeding, though he was still in rough shape.

"Hinata, it's fine." He said sternly, touching my hand. "You can stop now. It's okay."

I hesitantly put down the shirt and sat so I was facing him. He refused to look me in the eye. "What happened to you?" I queried.

"I was faced up against more people then I could handle. It was too much. I pushed myself too far." He buried his hands on his face. "I'm fucking ashamed."

I hesitated. "Why are you ashamed?"

"If my father were to see how bad I am, he would be disappointed. Itachi could have handled the crowd better than I could have, he probably wouldn't have even been hurt. And yet here I am bleeding the fuck out."

"I'm sure your father would be relieved to see you are okay, at least."

"Yeah right. You don't understand, both my brother and I are under way more pressure than anyone else in the clan. My father expects us to live up to him, to his level of power. Itachi has done so, but I'm just... Weak."

"You're anything but weak, Sasuke..."

"Why do you even say things like that?" He snapped. "I helped kill your fucking friends and family, I helped keep you here, I'm responsible for everything that has happened to you. Yet you sit here and try to help me, and cheer me up. Why the fuck do you do that?"

"I can't quite answer those questions myself." I told him shyly, averting his stone gaze.

"I just want you to be alright, okay? That's all."

"Why do you care?"

"Because." I bit my lip. "I care about what happens to you. I don't know why, okay? And besides, I could ask you the same thing... Why did you get me out of there? Why do _you _care?"

"I _don't_ care." He barked, startling me. His hardened expression never changed, even as tears began to form in my eyes.

I started to cry.

I think _sobbing violently _would fit better, actually.

I hid my face in my hands, not wanting him to see my puffy red face. I was embarrassed of how much hearing him say that actually hurt, and how out of control my emotions were. That painful feeling in my heart filled up again. I wanted him to say something, but he didn't. He simply sat there, eyes faced as far away from me as possible. After a few minutes, my tears began to calm down and I turned my back to him.

We sat in silence for several minutes until I finally stopped crying. Of course I was still upset, but the wave had passed, and I was able to face him again. He stared into the river with a solemn expression, the moonlight reflecting off every part of his body making him look even more beautiful.

I mentally scoffed at myself, thinking how ridiculous it was that he made me feel this way. I caught myself staring at him until he finally looked at me. I noticed that the cut on his chest had reopened and blood was drizzling down his torso. The shirt I'd used before was completely soaked in blood and dirt. I don't know what I was thinking, but regardless of how cold he was towards me I wanted to help him, even if in the smallest way. Who knows, maybe if he hadn't gotten me away back there, I could have already been dead.

I moved a little closer to him and he watched me with curious eyes as I took off the tank top I was wearing. I hid my breasts with my one hand, and with the other, I dipped the shirt in water and began to clean off the cut on his chest. His expression softened as I did so though he still said nothing. After I had worked at it for a minute or two, he softly touched my arm.

"You shouldn't dirty your clothes."

"They were already dirty, and you've lost enough blood."

"No, it's alright. I'm fine now." I pulled my hand away from him. "It's probably cold, but you should put that back on. I need to get back... Will you come with me?"

I laughed a little. "Do I really have a choice?"

He paused for a moment. "Yes, you do."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not going to force you to stay here any longer. You can go. This is the only time I'll be able to say this, but I could tell my father that you either died or escaped during the battle. It would be easily excused."

I was speechless. "But why?"

He averted my curious eyes. "Just go. I'm sure if you continue north through the forest someone from the Leaf will find you. You'll be alright, and you'll be free. You want that, don't you?"

"Y-Yes, but-"

"So, this is your only chance. I'm letting you go. After this, I won't be able to give you this offer again." I thought for a moment as I put my shirt back on. It was cold and wet but I didn't mind. "Go." He said.

"No." I pouted, crossing my arms over my chest. "No, I'm not going."

Sasuke frowned. "Why the hell not?"

"Not unless you come with me."

He scoffed. "Yeah, right. Like I can just leave."

"Why can't you?"

"Because... I have a duty here... I can't just abandon my family, shit doesn't work like that."

"I don't know why it can't. You've told me yourself how unhappy you are here. So I guess that makes two of us."

He simply scoffed again and looked away from me. "That's not an option."

"Then I'm not going, either."

"God, what's with this sudden persistence?"

I bit my lip, thinking of the right words to say. I didn't even _know_ what I was saying any more, it felt like my brain had gone totally ecstatic. So I sighed, and turned towards where we came. "Let's just go." I spoke, walking ahead.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, here's another chappy for ya. Hope you guys like it! Thanks so much for the reviews, I always read and appreciate them all even if I don't always reply!

Please **REVIEW **and let me know what you think! ;3


	22. chapter twenty one: scattered emotions

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

_**chapter twenty-one;** scattered emotions_

* * *

___Sasuke's POV_

* * *

_Just what exactly are you thinking...? _I mused as I watched Hinata walk ahead of me. She still seemed upset. I had absolutely no idea how the female brain worked, especially on this one.

I was worried about what was going to happen when I returned... Would it all already be over? My father would definitely be wondering where I'd wandered off to. Hopefully it didn't seem too suspicious, but I wouldn't doubt it. I didn't even know what _I_ was thinking, let alone Hinata.

When we reached the edge of the forest, I told her to wait there for about ten minutes and then walk onto the camp. I would exit the forest from a different direction, and then I would meet up with her and town and report that I'd found her wandering, or something. A foolish plan with quite a few loopholes, but whatever. At this point, I was feeling careless. I would bullshit my way through it all.

When I arrived at the battlefield it seemed that everything had ended. The leaf probably retreated at some point. My stomach felt grim as I passed by dozens of dead bodies, many of them familiar. I tried not to look, afraid of whom I may see. I entered the base and saw no one in sight. The atmosphere felt very dead, as if everyone had been killed except me. Regardless, I went to the spot where I told Hinata to meet me, but I didn't see her there. So I waited, for probably about twenty minutes before I began to grow concerned. And that was when I heard my fathers voice.

"We won this time, but we lost so many of our men." He spoke from around the corner. I found a place to hide so I could eavesdrop.

"Yes, and Sasuke has yet to be found." It was Itachi.

"I'm sure your brother is fine, though I'm also curious about his whereabouts. It seems as though he ran off sometime during the battle."

"Well he was faced off against way too many people for him to handle, he probably lost a lot of blood. I didn't see him after we stepped in."

"You shouldn't have left him like that. He isn't strong enough yet, you would have been able to take them on." I gritted my teeth.

"I know, but I didn't-"

"It's fine, you don't have to explain."

"Should we begin searching?"

"Give it an hour, if he doesn't come back, then you can go do whatever you want." Their voices were getting louder, I assumed that they were going to be turning the corner soon and would probably sense me anyway. So I stepped out from my hiding spot and found them. They didn't look shocked to see me.

"Hey, where have you been?" Itachi asked.

"I was cleaning off my wounds by the river in the forest." I told them.

"You were gone for a long time." My father stated, crossing his arms over his chest. He eyed me suspiciously.

"Yeah... I know. I apologize. I wasn't of much help."

"That's not true, brother." Itachi walked up to me and patted me on the shoulder where I wasn't cut. "You did good."

"But you could have done better." My father cut in. "Whether you were hurt or not Sasuke, it's not our way to abandon our comrades during battle."

"I didn't abandon anyone." I sneered. "I still fought... I did all I could do."

"Father, give him a break." Itachi said. "He's still just a kid, he doesn't have much real battle experience."

"I'm not a kid..." I muttered. "I did what most people couldn't have done..."

"I could have, and so could your brother." My father said bitterly. Of course, as I'd predicted, he was disappointed in me. Even as I tried to prove my case, I knew it was useless with him. He always wanted perfection from me, and nothing less. A storm of emotions brewed inside of me, I probably could have cried out of frustration, but I didn't. Instead, I turned my back to them.

"I'm sorry I'm such a failure to you." I said, before walking away.

I sat on the ground and waited for her for another ten minutes, ten minutes in which I cried to myself and punched the ground more than once. I wasn't crying out of sadness or something, just pure anger and frustration that I didn't know how to release. I knew there was only one thing that could take my stress away, and she was taking forever. I was worried that maybe she decided to leave after all, and ran away last second. But would she really do that?

Sure enough, I heard her voice.

"Is it safe to come out?" She whispered, poking her head from around the corner. I looked up and couldn't help but feel relief. I wiped my eyes and nodded, standing up.

"What took you so long?" I grabbed her and held her tightly to my chest.

"I'm sorry... I kinda sprained my ankle on the way."

I laughed. "Stupid."

"Yeah I know, I'm sorry."

"It's okay." I let her go and met her eyes. I was more relaxed already. "I don't want to turn you in yet... Come with me."

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry it's so short, but I wanted to update! Thanks so much for the lovely reviews, I love you all. Please review!:)

And if you're interested, check out my **new story Ten Days, One Hundred Smiles. **It's my latest SasuHina fic, and I think I might actually be going somewhere with it. Let me know what you think!


	23. chapter twenty two: disappearance

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

_**chapter twenty-two; **disappearance  
_

* * *

_Hinata's POV_

* * *

When the sun rose, I didn't have a clue. I woke up cold, disoriented and surrounded by darkness.

I wasn't in the cabin with Sasuke anymore.

I knew where I was.

The last thing I remembered was laying in his arms, after we spent a few hours alone in the cabin after the battle. He brushed the hair off my face, and told me he was sorry. I suppose at some point after that, I ended up back there, in the cell.

I wasn't alone; I could hear other bodies breathing steadily around me, but it was so dark, that I couldn't see a thing. There were no windows in this cell, and not a candle was lit. It took my eyes several moments to focus and adjust to my surroundings. I began to make out the dim silhouettes of people sleeping around me. Unfortunately, my first instinct was to panic. I began to hyperventilate, but quickly, a foreign hand touched my shoulder. I had no idea who it was, but somehow, it was comforting.

"It's okay." A female voice spoke. "You're safe here. Just try to fall back asleep. They'll come for us eventually."

I tried to calm my breathing, and lay back down on the cold stone floor. "How long has it been?" I asked quietly.

"Since you got here? Only a few hours, I'd say. It's hard to tell. But I think that the sun should be up by now."

"Thank you..." I whispered, laying my head down on my arm. Slowly, I drifted into what wasn't as much of a sleep as it were a dream state.

* * *

_Sasuke's POV_

* * *

There was a solemn atmosphere around the town. For the first time in a while, I decided to visit my mother. I could see her blankly staring out the window when I passed by the house, and when I entered the building, she didn't move.

"Mom?" I asked warily.

"Sasuke, it's been a while." She spoke with uncertainty, still not budging. "Why are you here?"

"I just wanted to see how you are doing." Unlike my father, my mother was a kind woman. She was gentle, and always very caring towards my brother and I. I could tell that since this whole ordeal began, even dating back to when we first took over Konoha, she had gone through some serious changes. I knew she didn't agree with my father, though she never opposed him, thus creating the docile woman who stood before me; a mere shadow of her old self. These days, when I saw her, I could hardly recognize her as the woman who raised me.

"I'm fine." She spoke,a delayed response. "How are you? Have you been sleeping? Eating?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"I'm glad to hear that..." She still had not moved from her place. It felt almost as though she refused to face me. "Take care of yourself, I'm not around to do it anymore."

"Well, I am grown up now."

"Yes, you are." We sat in silence for several minutes, before she glanced her head back only slightly and winced upon seeing me. Her eyes glazed over, and she looked back to the window. "You're hurt." She spoke, her voice shaky.

"I'm fine... Just a few scratches, that's all."

"You should go find your father. He talked about you this morning. Have you seen him?"

"No, I haven't."

"Well, go find him."

"Okay." I turned to leave, but suddenly, I was grabbed by her. She hugged me from behind.

"Take care of yourself." She whimpered. "I love you, son."

I couldn't help but wear a twisted expression, confused. I had never seen her act like this. "I love you too, mom, but why are you crying?" I turned to face her, but she'd already wiped the tears from her face.

"Just promise me you'll take care of yourself." She forced a smile, and I nodded, before turning to leave.

Two days later, I discovered that my mother, as well as many other women from our clan had disappeared. According to my father, it was almost like they vanished, but I knew that wasn't the case. My mother had been planning to leave for a while. I wasn't sure how I felt about this; I felt a little angry and betrayed, but more so I felt somber. I knew why she left, and I knew how hard it must have been for her.

After we realized that they were gone, things started to get hectic. My father sent out a search party, Itachi being the lead, and the slaves were not released from their captive. I thought about Hinata and going to see her, but I had no reason to do so in anyone elses eyes. So there I stood, useless and waiting for order.

* * *

Another two days passed, and Itachi's search party returned empty handed.

"This is unacceptable!" My father exclaimed, pacing back and forth. "How is it possible for twenty women to just disappear overnight and not leave a trail of any kind? Explain that to me, Itachi."

My brother stood with his eyes shut and his arms crossed over his chest. "They are smart women."

"That doesn't explain anything. I don't care how smart you claim they are, they couldn't have gotten too far. You searched for two days and you found nothing?"

"We started following their trail but at one point the rain simply washed it away. We were left with no lead. We continued in that direction for a while before we gave up. We have no idea where they went."

"That's not good enough!" My father was now screaming. I flinched every time his voice peaked, though Itachi showed no sign of emotion. "Get back out there and find your mother."

"And if I do find her?"

"You bring her back here."

"And what will you do to her from there?"

My father's face fell. He was probably thinking _I'll fucking kill her, _but of course he wouldn't say that to anyone. "I will just talk to her and find out what's going on, that's all. I just want her home, and so do the rest of these men who have lost their wives."

"I'm sorry, but there isn't anything I can do." Itachi said. "We looked for two days, and we couldn't even sense them or anything. Wherever they are, they are very far, and they got there quickly."

My father continued to spew nonsense at my brother in front of almost everyone in the town, who all gathered to watch. I scoffed to myself, and walked away from the crowd, realizing that this argument would go no where. I crept away and wandered the empty streets, feeling empty inside as I realized how lonely this place really was. I remembered when it was impossible to walk down the streets of Konoha without seeing tons of people, happily going about their daily lives. There was no one left now; only the Uchiha. I had never given it much thought, until that point. I was worn down from everything. My body and mind felt weak, and I had no motivation. I realized then that I had never been so depressed before as I had been since the battle.

I felt like I had nothing left. My father was disappointed in me, and my once high confidence seemed to be wearing thin. I had it in my head that I would never live up to his expectations... And seeing Itachi get yelled at in front of everyone opened my eyes to the fact that maybe my brother wasn't perfect in my fathers eyes either. And without my mother; knowing that I may never see her again... Well, it seemed as though everything I had been living for was disappearing right before my eyes. I stopped in an alley way and sat down against the wall, hiding my face in my hands. I was experiencing so many broken emotions that I didn't know how to react. I didn't feel sad, nor angry, simply tired.

Somehow whenever I was alone like this, despite everything that was happening, my thoughts always found a way back to _her. _It was pathetic really, how the only thing that could make me feel moderately better at a time like this was to think about Hinata.

I liked how long and soft her hair felt when I ran my fingers through it, and the way she always smelled lovely. It sent shudders up my spine thinking of how her innocent orbs filled with lust when I tore off her clothes, and how she trembled beneath me when I entered her. Thinking about her like that filled my chest with this strange anxious feeling; it was the only way I could escape my thoughts of everything else.

I wanted to take her away from that cell, but I couldn't do anything. I was powerless, and I hated that she was sitting down there cold, when I could be keeping her warm.

* * *

_Hinata's POV_

* * *

As countless hours rolled on, my perception of time seemed to die along with my hope. I was starving, freezing, uncomfortable and weak. All I could do was lay there with my thoughts, trying my absolute hardest to ignore this place.

It must have been days since I was out of here; since Sasuke knocked me out and threw me in here. For the first few days, I'd had so much hope that he would come for me, it was the only thing that was driving me to be happy. But it felt like so long since I'd seen the light of day, that my faith in him was truly dying.

I started to get angry; I started to resent him, but I could never hate him. I still had a small spark inside of me that told me I was on his mind. _Maybe something serious is happening up there, or maybe he's hurt... _I sighed longingly. _Or maybe he's already forgotten about me. Maybe he's gotten all he wanted from me and now I'm useless to him. _

These thoughts often crossed my mind. I cried a lot; the people around me tried to comfort me sometimes, but I kindly asked them to ignore me. They assumed I was crying simply because of the situation we were all in, but it wasn't just that. I longed to see him again more than I longed to see the sun.

I hated that more than anything.

* * *

_Sasuke's POV_

* * *

It was another week before things started to go back to normal. Cell by cell, my father allowed some of the slaves to return to their posts. I knew nothing of Hinata, but I was placed back in our original position in the shack alone. Needless to say, I slept very little those days I spent there alone. Her scent was everywhere; I would even sometimes find strands of her hair weaved into the blankets we slept with. I spent as little time on that bed as possible; in fact, I spent most of my time there outside, even when it was raining.

I didn't like being there without her.

I had a pit in my stomach that was filled with guilt, remorse, and longing for her. Yet still, I did nothing. I hated myself for it more and more each day.

So after the fifth day, I casually requested to my father that I required her assistance again, but he was so depressed and loopy over my mother's absence that he seemed to not even hear me. He simply told me to return to my post and leave him alone.

At that point, it had been two weeks since I'd seen Hinata. I decided that it was time to take matters into my own hands. It was around 10 o'clock at night when I approached the guards of the cells, and told them that I had my father's permission to take out one specific slave for classified purposes. I didn't think through the precautions of this lie, I just wanted to see her again.

Most of the cells were empty now except for the ones in the very lower level; the ones that had no windows. I held a torch to light my way, and glared in at all the lifeless bodies I passed by. They looked starving, like they hadn't even been given any food or water.

Eventually, I saw a gleam of navy hair reflect in the corner of my eye. As I shined the light into the cell, many faces curiously looked up, but hers stood out the most. She didn't even react when she saw me, not like the last time. She just put her hid her face in her knees again, almost as if she didn't believe I was even here.

"Hinata." I said, but she didn't budge. "Hey, wake up... You're coming with me."

She slowly raised her head again, and that was when I could really see the pain emphasized on every line of her face. Her cheeks sunk in and her eyes were framed with thick dark circles. "S-Sasuke?" She muttered.

"Yeah, it's me. Come on, I need you to come with me."

Seemingly still in disbelief, she used the wall to help her stumble to her feet. I opened the gate, and she almost tripped multiple times on her way towards me. I'd seen her in rough shape before but never like this. I put my arm around her frail waist to help her stand and shut the gate behind her. Shortly after that, she collapsed in my arms.

* * *

**A/N: **Hey guys, sorry about the lack of updates. I'm having some writers block with this story; I know where it's headed, however I'm not sure exactly how to get there yet. I know not much happened in this chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. I'll try to update within the next week or so, okay? :)


	24. chapter twenty three: reunion

**Start the Machine**

- _all I can see is you _-

_**chapter twenty-three; **reunion  
_

* * *

_Sasuke's POV_

* * *

Hinata slept for at least two hours after I brought her back to the cabin, two hours in which I watched her, deep in thought. I brushed the hair off her sleeping face and stroked her pale cheek. She seemed to be having a nightmare; every once in a while she would tremble and mutter gibberish, but as soon as I placed a hand on her, she would be at ease.

When she awoke, I wasn't expecting the reaction I got. Her lavender eyes fluttered open slightly and focused in on my face. I smiled slightly, and the first thing the girl did was shoot up in the bed and _scream._

I had no idea that such a tiny girl had it in her to scream that loud. She shrieked at the top of her lungs, inevitably piercing my ears, and when I tried to grab her she threw the blankets at me and bolted out of the bed.

"Hey, shut up!" I yelled at her, standing to my feet. She grabbed a plate that I'd used earlier and threw it at me; I dodged it and it shattered into pieces on the floor. I started to get angry. "Hinata, what the fuck!" She continued to scream and cry so I roughly grabbed her arms and held her til she could no longer move. She stopped screaming but continued to whimper, throwing weak punches at my chest.

"Let go of me!" She screeched. "Get away from me!"

"What's your fucking problem!?" I retorted, my grip on her tightening. She continued to make futile attempts and punching me and pushing me away from her. "Shut the hell up!" I demanded. "Someone's going to fucking hear you and you're going to be put back in that cell!" She finally piped down and met my eyes, though tears continuously poured down her face.

"W-What happened? Why am I here?" She asked. "Let go of me..."

"No, not until I know you're going to behave."

She took a few deep breaths. "I will. Please let go, you're hurting me." I hesitantly loosened my grip on her arm and she shuffled me off of her, making her way to the bed. "What happened?"

"I came and got you a few hours ago... You fell asleep here." I said calmly, taking a seat as well.

"Y-You..." She cried more. "Y-You left me though... You weren't coming back." She hid her face in her hands, and I actually started to feel a sense of guilt rising inside of me. "You abandoned-"

"No I didn't. You're here now, aren't you?"

"I was down there for so long... I-It was awful. You have no idea." She met my gaze and I'd never seen so much pain in her eyes. "Why didn't you come for me sooner?"

I paused. "I just couldn't, okay?"

"That's really all you have to say?" She whimpered again and turned away from me. I let out a long sigh, unsure of how to handle this situation.

"When was the last time you ate?" I asked, walking over to the kitchen. "You need some food. You look awful."

"Thanks." She muttered, laying down on the bed.

"I didn't mean it like that." I scoffed as I poured water into a pot. There were a few moments of silence before I repeated my question. "You didn't answer me. When was the last time you ate?"

"I don't know."

"Did they even feed you?"

"A little bit. The last thing I had was some bread, I don't know when that was, it could have been days."

"What about water?" I poured some instant noodles into the pot, and grabbed a glass to get her some water.

"Hardly any, but more water than food."

I clenched my fist on the glass. _She could have died down there... _Without a word, I placed the cup of water on the night stand beside her. "Drink it." I said, noticing that she was still crying. I sat down and placed a hand on her, and instantaneously she grabbed my waist and hugged me securely, sobbing into my shirt. I reluctantly held her back, softly brushing her skin with my fingers until she calmed down.

After the noodles were done, I put them in a bowl and gave them to her, sitting down beside her. She sat up and instantly started eating them; she demolished the bowl within a few minutes, then chugged the water.

"Owww..." She mumbled, wiping tears off her face.

"What?" I asked.

"My stomach hurts so much."

I laughed a little. "Well, you ate too fast."

surprisingly, she giggled at this. "Yeah, I guess you're right... Thank you for the food and things."

"No problem." I lightly pulled her head to me and kissed her on the forehead. "You should get some more rest. I'm going to have to explain to my father why I took you in the morning, assuming that the guards will confirm it with him then."

"You didn't even get permission?" She gasped.

"No, I'll explain to you what's going on in the morning."

"Okay." She smiled and laid down. I blew out the candle and crawled in beside her, holding her body close to me. I'd almost forgotten how it felt to actually have her lay beside me.

* * *

_Hinata's POV_

* * *

In the morning, I was still a little disoriented from the night before. I didn't expect to actually wake up in his bed, with him holding me in his arms. The feeling was too surreal; almost more surreal than the first time we had laid together.

I woke up before him, and decided not to bother him for a little while. He looked too peaceful to disturb, and I needed the time to lay comfortably with my thoughts. I was overwhelmed with the great feeling of relief when my eyes opened that morning. Not only could I see the sun; I could also see Sasuke.

He explained to me what happened while I was in the cell as we walked towards the hot spring to bathe after he woke. I felt a little bad for reacting the way I did after hearing his story; his mother had gone missing, and his father was going crazy... That was certainly a heavy burden for him to bear, not that I hadn't been through worse. Despite that, I couldn't stay mad at him. He was being nicer to me than usual, and I thought that _maybe _he felt a little bad for leaving me in that cell for so long.

Sasuke was being odd when we were in the hot spring; I was sitting there minding my business while he sat across from me, when suddenly he disappeared under the water. My expression twisted in confusion, as his face popped up right in front of me.

"W-What are you doing?" I stammered. He looked as though he was about to kiss me, when he splashed water in my face. I screamed in shock and went to push him, but he was gone again. He emerged with a taunting smile and kicked more water at me. "Sasuke!" I exclaimed, swimming after him. I started to laugh, thinking _what has gotten in to him? _I tried to splash him, but every time he avoided my attempts. Eventually I grew frustrated and sat back down, crossing my arms over my chest with a pout.

He chuckled mockingly. "What, you're giving up?"

"Hmph, you have an unfair advantage."

"What's that?" He grinned, slithering up to me.

"You're too fast."

"You're just slow."

I was about to retort, but he stopped me with a swift kiss. It had been too long since I'd felt his lips; my body melted, and instantly I was his... Not that I ever stopped being his.

"Let's get out of here." He smirked, peering deviously into my eyes. I shyly nodded.

We put our clothes back on, and Sasuke picked me up and ran as fast as he could back to the cabin. He pushed me down to the bed and pinned me by my wrists; it was his signature thing, and I loved how rough he was with me. He kissed and bit my neck, sending a series of shivers all across my skin wherever he touched it.

"I missed you." He breathed on my neck. I squirmed beneath him until he let my wrists go, and this time I was the first one to start tearing off his clothes. He smirked in amusement at this, and retaliated by pinning me down again. I knew he was trying to drive me wild and it was working; he wouldn't let me move, and just kept breathing those soft kisses against my skin. I struggled hard beneath him, but moving my arms was impossible, so I wrapped my legs around him and pulled him against me. He hissed when I ground myself into him, and I couldn't help but feel that now I was winning.

* * *

I lay sprawled on his chest, listening to his heart beat pound after we finished. We both still breathed heavily, and it took us several minutes to collect ourselves. I wasn't sure about him, but I was certainly in awe. Sometimes it was still hard to believe that it was even possible for someone to make my body feel so good.

I found my thoughts wandering elsewhere; _"I missed you." _Hesitantly, I propped myself up so I could face him.

"Sasuke, I..." I couldn't bring myself to look into his dark pools. "Did you really miss me?"

He leaned up on one elbow and forced me to meet his gaze. "Yeah, I did."

There were so many words I wanted to blurt out, but there were three in particular that stood out over the others. I pressed my lips tightly together to stop myself from saying something completely stupid. Just then, there was a knock at the knock at the door; Sasuke threw me off the bed and tossed my clothes at me, signalling for me to run downstairs.

* * *

_Sasuke's POV_

* * *

I threw my pants on as quickly as possible and didn't bother with the shirt. I attempted to make the bed look less messy, but there was another knock at the door, so I panicked. I left everything else the way it was and answered the door, still sweating from my previous endeavor. I expected to see my father, but was _slightly _relieved to see that it was only my brother. He was alone, too.

"Hey." He said, inviting himself inside.

"Hi."

He eyed me suspiciously and looked around the room, before making a twisted expression. "Gross." He commented.

"Um, what?" I asked quizzically.

He ignored this. "So, where's the girl?"

"Downstairs, of course... What are you doing here?" It was a dumb question; I knew why he was here. I was expecting someone to come too, I suppose I just got a little caught up with Hinata. I really did miss her.

My brother sat down at the table. "It looks extremely bad for you to make a move like that, Sasuke... To lie to the guards and tell them that you have permission to take one specific slave isn't exactly a subtle way to go about things."

My heart was thumping in my chest; I'd been caught. That was it. Itachi knew, and my father was going to lose it... They would kill her...

Itachi released a heavy sigh, cutting off my train of thought. "Smarten up." He said calmly. "Father is freaking out about this, you're lucky that I was able to convince him to let me come here in his stead. He may be going crazy, but he's still not stupid. It's completely aparent that something is going on here."

I gulped. "What do you mean..."

"You're having relations with that slave girl downstairs, it's painfully obvious." It felt like my heart was about to leap out of my throat. "I'm not going to tell him." Itachi continued, and my head snapped to him. "I'll help you out this time, Sasuke, but if you pull something stupid like this again, I can't say I'll be able to come up with another viable excuse for you."

"Y-You really won't tell him?"

"No, I won't. To be honest I've suspected it for quite a while, I simply don't care. But I'm not sure how father would react if he found out. He's strangely strict about this sort of thing. Even if I were to be fraternizing with one of the slaves, he would probably force me to kill her myself as punishment."

His words sent shudders up my spine. "Thanks." I awkwardly muttered.

Much to my surprise, Itachi smiled. "Anytime. Father trusts me, so I'm sure this time he'll believe what I tell him, but just remember that if he suspects anything again, it's not likely he'll let that girl live."

I nodded. "I understand."

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**A/N: **Thanks so much for the reviews, everyone! I'll try to update again soon. I hope you liked the chapter, please let me know what you think :) constructive criticism is always encouraged. Are you still liking where I'm heading with this story, or am I droning on too much!?


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